


The Universal Language

by rorygrade



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Angst with a Happy Ending, Animal Death, Antarctic Empire, Blood and Injury, Fantasy, Fire, Gen, Kidnapping, Piglin actually have a very organized and culturally rich society they just choose to Be Like That, Possession, Sleepy Bois Inc as Family, Tommy is a prisoner of war I’m not joking this is a major plot element, Wilbur is peer pressured by his own shadow what a loser lmao, sbi goes to war!, wood carving as a coping mechanism
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-30
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-16 17:47:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 29,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29086335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rorygrade/pseuds/rorygrade
Summary: For 15 years, the Antarctic Empire has lived in relative peace under the rule of King Philza and his three sons. When an old enemy resurfaces to threaten that peace, the family must band together to defend their home and each other.
Relationships: No Romantic Relationship(s), Wilbur Soot & Technoblade & TommyInnit & Phil Watson
Comments: 57
Kudos: 360





	1. Storm Warning

**Author's Note:**

> I'm starved for sbi royal family content so I decided to write my own ayo. Hope you enjoy :)
> 
> I really appreciate kudos and comments! If you like what you read, either are super appreciated.

Philza was used to storms. Where the deadly winds and harsh cold would scare off most from even stepping outside, Phil welcomed the danger. Flying through the thick sleet was a needed reminder of his own mortality, something he tended to forget with his current position. Still, as Phil stood on the balcony of the castle, he couldn't help but feel dread. The Antarctic Empire had seen worse storms than the one currently looming on the horizon. There had been a particularly nasty one that had hit the nation a few years back, obliterating some smaller villages from the snow and wind. This approaching storm had barely even registered as a threat to Phil's council. They had warned him about it in the way they always did, telling him to stay safe and all that nonsense as if he hadn't been through a blizzard a thousand times before. So why did this one unnerve him more than the rest? 

"Temperature's dropping." A low voice startled Philza out of his thoughts. He turned to face the piglin brute behind him.

"Techno! Didn't hear you approach." Phil stretched one of his wings out to shield Technoblade from the falling snow. Techno moved to stand next to him.

"Your hearing's starting to fail you, old man." Techno said. He looked out at the ocean far below them. Phil followed his gaze, noticing the waves had begun to pick up. "You should be getting inside. The storm's about to hit."

"It's at least another hour out." Phil replied, waving his hand dismissively. Next to him, his son pulled his blue Empire robe up higher. Despite being raised in the coldest place known to man, the piglin never seemed to have fully adjusted to the snow. Phil curled his wing closer around them. "Are Tommy and Wilbur both inside now?"

Techno snorted. "Somehow. I still don't understand why they would want to sail during a storm in the first place."

"Are you really surprised Wilbur would do something like that?" Phil said with a slight grin. "That boy's chaotic."

"Reckless, more like it." Techno replied. The two settled into silence, watching the waves crash against the rocky shore. Phil looked back at the approaching clouds and frowned. 

"The storm's picking up."

"How can you tell?" Techno asked. He squinted out at the horizon. "Looks about the same to me."

"Natural intuition." Phil tapped his head. "Comes with the wings."

Techno raised an eyebrow. "And the age."

"I'm not that old." Phil sighed. He leaned forward against the marble railing. "In fact, some would say I'm pretty young by demigod standards."

"I don't care how you try to justify it, 400 years is not young." 

"Well, it's closer to 300." Phil said.

"That's really not any better." 

"You boys are just young. Once you get a bit older I'm sure you'll see what I mean."

"Doubtful." Techno replied in his monotone voice. Another particularly nasty gust hit them and Phil had to grab onto the railing to stay standing. Techno's hoof flew to his shoulder, steadying the winged man. "Phil, we really should be getting inside."

Philza took one last look at the storm. His feathers prickled as far off lightning crackled against the sky. The longer he looked at the snow, the more unnerved he began to feel. Something deep and ancient inside of him told him to take his three sons and run far, far away from the dark clouds. Techno gave him another nudge. "Phil?"

Phil snapped back to reality. Techno was looking at him, his normally passive face marked by concern. Phil gave him a reassuring smile. "Sorry. I agree, we should get inside." Techno nodded and turned, opening up the heavy metal doors and slipping inside the castle. Phil followed him. As his gloves hands brushed against the doorknob, he paused. He glanced back at the ocean. The falling snow was to the point he couldn’t he couldn’t see the water below. The moment passed and Phil stepped into the castle. 

\---

The interior of the castle was loud. All the fireplaces had been lit and a smoky haze filled the upper landings. Phil walked down the flights of stairs, brushing past the servants hurriedly closing the windows. Some snow had snuck in through the cracks in the wooden shutters and Phil made careful note to avoid the puddles it left on the rug. Techno was waiting for him outside the doors of the central gathering hall. The piglin was nervously fiddling with a carving of a strange beast, giving half-smiles to the servants who greeted him. His face brightened when he saw Phil approach. “I was wondering what took you so long.”

“Took my time getting down the stairs." Phil replied. He gestured to the figurine. “What’s that?” 

“Oh, this?” Techno held it up. The carving looked like a crude depiction of some sort of bull. Its face was uncomfortably human and pulled back in a scowl. “Tommy carved it for me. It’s supposed to be a ravager.” 

“A ravager.” Phil raised an eyebrow. The beasts lived in the southern plains, far from any sort of snow. Although he had fought many in past battles against hopeful pillager conquerors, he had never seen one on Antarctic land. “Where did he see one of those?”

“I showed him a drawing from one of your old books.” Techno pocketed the wooden ravager. “He’s getting pretty good with a carving knife.” 

“At least he’s being productive in his stabbing now.” Phil shook his head. “I still don’t know who keeps slipping him those weapons.”

“Yeah, it’s a total mystery.” Techno replied with a cough. Phil rolled his eyes and gave him a disapproving look. Techno gave him a helpless shrug. “He got Wilbur to keep asking me for a knife, Phil. You know I’m bad with peer pressure.”

“I’m going to give you and your twin a long talk about older sibling responsibilities one of these days.” Phil said. He pushed open the door to the gathering hall and stepped inside. Techno followed him. The hall was much warmer than the rest of the castle. Thick furs covered the stone floors and a large fireplace took up half of one wall. The long wooden table in the center was empty save for a few bowls of fresh bread. A brown-haired teenager sat at one side of the table, leaning back in his chair and holding a hunk of wood above his head. A small blonde child was trying to grab it back, angrily yelling curses at the older boy. 

“Wilbur, this isn’t fair. Give it back!” Tommy, the younger of the two, demanded. Wilbur smiled and leaned further back in his chair. 

“Not until you apologize for calling me a bitch.”

“I’m not apologizing for shit. You  _ are  _ a bitch.” Tommy huffed. He jumped up to grab at the object only to have Wilbur easily push him away. “Seriously, give it back.”

“I already told you what you have to do.” Wilbur’s smug grin grew as Tommy completely failed to push his chair over. He glanced over to the door and paled. His chair went back to its normal position in an instant as he snapped forwards. Tommy didn’t seem to notice, taking advantage of the fact Wilbur was now leaning against the table. He sprung forwards and tried to tear the wood from Wilbur’s hands. 

“Why are you so much taller? This is so unfair.” Tommy growled. Wilbur angrily shushed him. Tommy looked at him in confusion. “What?”

“Are you two done?” Phil spoke up. He crossed his arms, frowning. Tommy instantly backed off and plopped down in a chair next to Wilbur. 

“Dad, he was taking my things.” Tommy complained. Wilbur gave him a kick under the table. 

“Wilbur, give your brother his…” Phil looked at the lumpy object. “...thing back.”

“He called me a bitch.” Wilbur said, sliding the wooden figurine across the table. Tommy gave him an annoyed look. 

“If you teach him words like that, he’s going to use them on you. We’ve been over this.” Phil replied. He turned to Tommy. “Tommy, don’t call your brother a bitch.”

“Fine.” Tommy said. He sat awkwardly with the uncarved wood in his hands. 

Phil sighed. “I know Techno gave you a knife. You don’t have to hide it from me.”

Tommy grinned, pulling out a dagger easily the size of his hand. He dug it into pine, making Phil wince. The older man made himself look away and walked over to the fireplace. He warmed his hands with the heat from the fire. Even with his thick gloves, standing on the balcony had made his fingers numb. Behind him, Techno let out a bark of laughter. 

“I can’t believe you idiots were going to try and go sail in a blizzard.” Techno said. Phil listened to the conversation but kept his focus on the fire. 

“We weren’t going sailing. We were going to explore one of the old warships at the dock.” Wilbur replied. There was a noise as his chair scraped backwards. “It would have been perfectly safe. Probably.”

“Those boats aren’t built for storms. The two of you would have frozen to death in minutes. See, as the oldest and wisest sibling, I know these sorts of things.” Techno said. 

“ _ As the oldest sibling _ ?” Wilbur scoffed. “We don't even know your age, that doesn’t count. You're probably only like two minutes older or something.”

“The two minutes made all the difference.” 

“You’re both 17. You don’t know shit.” Phil spoke up. He shrugged off his white and red cloak to drape above the fireplace. He pulled off his blue striped hat to place next to the coat.

“You’re just jealous that we’re young and strong while you’re liable to crumble into dust any moment now.” Wilbur replied. Phil turned to face him. The boy was leaning back dangerously in his chair. Techno was sitting next to him, a careful hoof stretched out to catch him just in case. 

“I would rather be dust than your age again.” Phil snorted. He stepped away from the fire to sit beside the three of them. Tommy grunted a greeting, still engrossed with carving up the wood. “What are you making there?”

“A whale.” Tommy responded. Wilbur glanced over to him. 

“That’s pretty cool.” 

“Thanks.” Tommy said. He moved his arms slightly to give Wilbur a better look. Phil peered over as well. In the short amount of time that had passed, Tommy had formed the wood into an oval. 

“It’s looking good.” Phil commented. Tommy ducked his head down and began to hack at the wood again. Despite the 12 year old’s best attempts to hide it, Phil could tell he was blushing. A sudden peal of thunder made them all jump. 

Techno grimaced. “Looks like the storm’s hitting earlier than expected.”

Wilbur looked over to Phil. “Wasn’t this supposed to be a blizzard? What’s with the thunder?”

Every hair on Phil’s arms seemed to stand on end. His head felt like it was buzzing with electricity. The table’s edge brushed against his wingtips and he realized he had unconsciously spread his wings. He rubbed his eyes with his hand, taking a deep breath. “I’m not sure.”

“Are you feeling okay?” Techno rested a hoof on Philza’s shoulder. The piglin turned to Wilbur. “Grab him some water.” 

Wilbur nodded and stood. Phil closed his eyes. He listened to his son’s footsteps and the sound of a door opening then closing. Techno rubbed his back. 

“Is Dad feeling okay?” Tommy asked quietly. Phil nodded. 

“Just a bit of a headache--” Phil winced as the buzzing in his head grew to a scream. Another rumble of thunder shook the palace. On the far wall, the fire flickered. Tommy glanced over nervously at it. A crackling noise from close by caused Phil to flinch. He straightened in his seat. 

“What the…” Techno muttered. He slowly reached down to unsheathe his sword. The purple gleam against the diamond was intensified. Bright sparks popped off of the edges as the blade hummed. Techno held it close to his face, staring at the shifting patterns. “Do you see this?”

Phil moved quickly. He snatched the hilt out from Techno’s hooves and tossed the blade across the room. It clattered loudly on the floor, sending up small arcs of purple lightning. Techno made a move to stand but Phil stopped him. “Techno, do you have any other enchanted items on you?”

Techno nodded, wide-eyed. 

Phil grit his teeth. “Take it all off. Now. Throw it in the corner.” He focused on Tommy. “What about you?

Tommy shook his head, pulling his jacket closer around him. “Dad, what’s going on?”

“Right. You boys have never seen a charged storm before.” Phil said. Next to him, Techno was quickly discarding the majority of his gear. The pile of purple equipment in the corner was visibly vibrating. Phil grabbed an armful of hides off the floor and tossed in onto the items, smothering out the sparks and effectively disarming the enchantments. 

“Charged storm?” Techno asked. He cocked his head, thinking. “I’ve heard that term before.”

“It’s when a storm builds up enchantment energy. When it passes through, it supercharges everything magical.” Phil explained. He felt something drip onto his lip and realized numbly his nose was bleeding. He absent-mindedly wiped it away. “We need to get everyone away from enchanted items.”

“Only us, the royal guard, and the archives have magical items, right?” Techno said. Phil nodded. 

“I’ll go alert everyone. You two sit tight. Techno, make sure you keep Tommy safe.” Phil instructed. 

The piglin had a determined look on his face. He gave his father a quick nod and that was all the confirmation Phil needed to walk out the door. 

\---

The guards had already removed and disarmed their armor and weapons by the time Phil found them. He only had to spend a few minutes double-checking with the captain before he could move on. The archives were another story. The labyrinth of twisting tunnels that lay underneath the castle would be impossible to fully disarm in such little time. Evacuation was the first and only priority. Phil took the stairs down two at a time, coming within sight of the door. The pressure in his head increased and his vision blurred.

“Your majesty?” A voice asked. Phil paused on the stairs, trying to locate the source of the noise. His eyes took a moment to focus on the robed figure standing before him. 

“Are you from the archives?"

The librarian nodded. “We left as soon as the storm began. I’m the last one out.”

“Thank the gods.” Phil let out a sigh of relief and slumped against the wall. “I’m not sure if I could have stayed standing long enough to be useful.”

The villager nodded sympathetically. “You should be careful with yourself, your majesty. Charged storms are no laughing manner for a demigod.”

“Don’t I know it.” Phil grumbled to himself, rubbing his temple. His headache had quickly progressed into a migrane and even looking at a torch was painful. The librarian tentatively reached a hand out. 

“Would you like some help getting up the stairs?”

Phil swallowed his pride and nodded. He started up the stairs, careful to keep his balance. The way he was stumbling over his own feet made him wonder if his sons had a point about his age. He was still lost in his own thoughts when the shockwave hit him. The castle groaned around him and he was flung to the ground. In the archives below him he could hear dozens upon dozens of magical items exploding with energy. The booming noise was overtaken by muffled crackling. Phil dug his fingers into the blue carpet and pulled his wings tightly around him. The divine magic coursing through his veins threatened to tear him apart. If he was screaming from the pain, he couldn’t tell over the noise all around him.

As quickly as the shockwave had hit, it passed. The pressure in Phil’s head subsided to the point he could think again. He blinked, pushing himself up off the ground. The librarian was crouched next to him looking terrified. 

“I’m fine. Don’t worry.” Phil said. His words slurred slightly, a fact that probably didn’t comfort the archivist. He wiped the blood and spit off of his face and stood. Just as he got back on his feet, a second wave slammed into him. A noise like a nearby lightning strike shook the stairway corridor. Phil flung out a wing to catch the librarian from falling and whipped around to face the archive door. A deep purple glow emanated from the cracks in the wood. Unintelligible whispers, barely audible at first, filled the corridor. 

“What is that?” The villager beside him questioned, their voice shaky. Phil narrowed his eyes. The castle basement already felt hotter. A hint of sulfur and ash crept into the air. 

“The old nether portal frame in the archives. Was it ever deconstructed?” Phil asked. The librarian shook their head no, causing Phil’s frown to deepen. Already memories of painful burns and choking smoke were creeping back into the demigod’s mind. He chuckled grimly. “Then I believe we have our answer.” 


	2. Shadowed

Although the storm had passed days ago by this point, Technoblade couldn’t help but feel hesitant to re-don his armor. Philza had claimed it was perfectly safe now that the storm was gone, but Techno had never been the trusting type. He preferred to trust his own instincts and his instincts were telling him to avoid anything enchanted for the foreseeable future. That meant when Wilbur had shown up in his room rambling about magical shadows that moved on their own, Techno had been less than pleased. 

“Techno, I swear it’s safe.” Wilbur insisted from where he was sitting on the carpet. He scooted closer to Techno. “It's just my shadow, what do you think it's gonna do to you?”

“What even happened to that thing?” Techno asked, pulling his legs up further onto his bed. Wilbur glanced at the locked bedroom door. 

“Promise not to tell Dad?”

“No.” Techno instantly responded. Wilbur let out a frustrated sigh. 

“C’mon man, I promise I won’t let the scary shadow hurt you.” Wilbur mocked. Techno frowned at his human twin. “If it was dangerous, we would know by now.”

“We most certainly would  _ not _ .” Techno moved so his back was pressed against his bedroom wall. Wilbur took the movement to be an invitation, hopping up onto the bed with him. His shadow didn't follow, remaining as a dark stationary blob on the floor.

“I was getting some water for Dad during the storm and when I stepped out of the kitchen, my shadow just stayed behind. I had to go find and poke it before it started following me again.” Wilbur explained. “I just want to figure out what's happening with it.”

“Why are you hiding it from Dad? Literally what was the point of that?” Techno could feel himself growing annoyed. Wilbur had always been one for poorly thought out plans, but this truly took the cake. 

“Because it's exciting! It's something we can figure out on our own.” Wilbur exclaimed as if that somehow made it all make sense. Techno narrowed his eyes. 

“Wilbur, that is the dumbest thing I've heard.” 

Wilbur quickly moved on. “Anyway, I wanted your help figuring out what's up with it.”

“My help?” Techno asked. 

“Yeah. You read a lot of Dad’s old journals, right? I bet if we went through them we could find out what it does.”

“If I help you figure out what it does, will you get it back to normal?”

“I promise.” Wilbur raised his hand and placed the other on his chest. “You have my word.”

Techno sighed. “Fine. I’ll help you. But make sure you don’t do anything dumb in the meantime.”

Wilbur whooped in celebration. He sprung off the bed, running over to Techno’s bookshelf. Techno cringed as he grabbed an armful of old leather journals and dumped them on the bed. 

“So, where do we begin?” Wilbur asked, already flipping through the titles. Techno carefully looked through the books. He placed them in neat stacks to the side, eventually settling on a worn green book. 

“We’ll start with this one.” 

“That doesn’t look too long.” Wilbur noted excitedly. Techno cracked a smile.

“Oh, this is just the first one.” He pointed a hoof at the stack of journals towarding above them. “We got a good twenty more after this at least.” 

The dramatic groan that got out of Wilbur almost made the whole situation worth it.

\---

It was too easy for Technoblade to lose track of time. He hadn’t even noticed the sun had set until Wilbur commented on it an hour or so ago. Speaking of his brother, Wilbur had actually remained focused the whole time. He still demanded Techno’s attention every time he found an interesting diagram or thought up a new joke, but for the most part Techno actually enjoyed the company. The two of them had finished about half the stack of journals together by the time they heard knocking on the door.

“Hey guys?” A familiar voice called from the hallway. He and Wilbur both glanced over at it. Wilbur groaned and dropped the book onto his face. 

“Don’t tell the child we’re in here.” He whispered to Techno. He slid the book down to just reveal his eyes. “He’ll be loud.”

“I can literally hear you.” Tommy complained from outside the door. He knocked on it again. “If you guys won’t let me in, I’m telling Dad.” 

“You’re such a snitch!” Wilbur yelled back. Techno rolled his eyes and slid off the bed. On the way over to the door he stepped over the shadow, throwing a glare in Wilbur’s direction. The brunette leaned over from where he was lying to grab the dark blob. He shoved it under the bed. 

“Alright, you can come in, but you have to stay quiet.” Techno cracked the door open to peer down at Tommy. “Got it?”

Tommy huffed and crossed his arms. His blue Antarctic jacket had slipped down his shoulders, crowded out by the red handkerchief around his neck. “You guys are so boring. I wanna do something.”

“We’re already doing something.” Techno wrinkled his snout. “And we’re not boring.”

“You so are.” Tommy snapped back. Techno moved to close the door but his little brother swiftly stuck his foot into the gap. Techno pushed it a little harder and Tommy seemed to take that as a challenge, throwing his full weight against the door. Techno stepped back and let Tommy stumble into the room. The younger child’s face screwed up in confusion as he looked at the mountains of books covering Techno’s bed. 

"We’re trying to read, so if you can’t keep it down you gotta go.” Techno informed him, returning to his spot on the bed. Wilbur nodded, picking his book back up and flicking through the pages. 

“What are you reading?” Tommy hopped up onto the bed in between them, pushing the journals to the side. He grabbed one and looked at the cover. “These are Dad’s old books, right?”

Techno nodded. He reached over and handed Tommy one of the slimmer editions. “Start with this one. Tell us if you see anything about shadows.” 

“Shadows...” Tommy eyed them both suspiciously. “Why?”

“Ask less, read more.” Wilbur said. Tommy hesitated before shrugging and opening up to the first page. He skimmed the page, flicking to the next one within seconds. Techno leaned back and picked back his own journal. 

“Hey Wil?” Tommy spoke up. He leaned over and showed Wilbur an open page. “What does ‘expeditious’ mean?” 

“To do something quickly.” Wilbur explained. He pointed at a diagram next to the word. “See how this is a brewing stand? You have to brew the ingredients quickly with it or the potion will set all wrong.”

“Oh. Neat.” Tommy took the book back and studied the drawing. Techno nudged him.

“Remember when I showed you how to brew those strength potions? That’s the reason I made you collect all the ingredients beforehand.” Techno said.

Tommy nodded and went back to reading. The group fell into comfortable silence only broken by the occasional sound of a page turning. Between all three of them, they were making surprisingly quick work. Tommy somehow managed to stay mostly calm, much to Techno’s relief. Eventually Wilbur threw down his book with a long sigh. 

“Techno, it’s been 4 hours and we haven’t found anything.” Wilbur groaned, rubbing his face and rolling to sit upright. 

“You’re the one who wanted to do this.” Techno pointed out. Wilbur rolled his eyes.

“Whatever. I’m taking a food break. Want to come with?” Wilbur offered, making his way off the bed and towards the door. 

“I’ll go with you.” Tommy said. He practically threw his book at Techno who barely managed to catch it. Wilbur waited for him, pretending to look annoyed. 

“I was asking Technoblade, not you.”

“Too bad.” Tommy replied. He paused and looked at Techno. “Are you coming too?”

“Nah. Not hungry.” Techno lied. In all honesty he could go for a snack right about now, but the thought of having to stop reading and walk all the way down the hall was worse than hunger. He sank deeper into his mattress and pulled a blanket over his legs. “I’ll keep working while you nerds eat.”

Wilbur flashed him a thumbs up and left. Tommy hurried closely behind him. Techno waited until they were gone and the door was closed before kicking the blanket off. He waited a few seconds until the footsteps were no longer audible. Once he was certain he was alone, he leaned over and stuck his hoof underneath the bed frame. It brushed up against something cold that felt like static and Techno cringed. He pulled it out gingerly, keeping the shadow at arm’s length away from his body. 

The shadow was less intimidating now that Techno could see it clearly. It was clearly the shadow of a human man, but somehow detached from its owner. Oddly, although it wasn't solid, Techno could still hold it in his grasp. It kept its shape and went Techno shook it, it reacted like a piece of fabric. For a brief second, Techno wondered if he could use it for something. The memory of his sword violently sparking quickly killed that urge. Instead he marched over to the window, opened it, then flung the blob as far as he could. It sailed out of sight, falling into the ocean below. Techno breathed a sigh of relief and closed the window. He returned to his seat on the bed, pulling his blanket back up and re-opening his book. Wilbur would be pissed at him later, but Techno could live with that. Better a few hours of dealing with a sulky twin than the alternative. 

\---

Philza rarely called for family dinners. Usually he would let the boys eat at their own pace, letting them know food was ready and if they wanted some they were free to come down and grab it. Phil only made them all eat together for two reasons: to resolve a fight or to deliver bad news. When Tommy had returned to the room and told Techno they were all having dinner together tonight, he silently prayed it was the first reason.

The moment he walked into the gathering hall and saw Phil’s face, Techno knew it was the second. 

“Techno, can you take a seat?” Phil motioned to one of the chairs next to him. Wilbur was already seated. He drummed his fingers nervously against the table, giving Techno a look as he approached. Techno pulled up a chair on the left side of Phil, leaving Tommy a seat next to Wilbur. 

“This feels like we’re gonna get yelled at or something.” Tommy chuckled anxiously. Wilbur and Techno said nothing in reply. 

“You’re not getting yelled at.” Phil reassured him. Tommy looked relieved. Techno wasn’t sure how to tell him that this option was worse. The table in front of them was stocked with a number of foods. Meats, breads, and even a selection of vegetables covered the area. Phil began to serve himself. “Please, get something to eat.”

Techno reached for the meats as usual. Tommy did the same, groaning when Phil dumped a spoonful of beans onto his plate. “How come I have to eat this and Techno doesn’t?”

“Last time I checked, only one of us was a piglin.” Techno replied. 

Wilbur looked up from the stack of fruit he was currently piling onto his plate. “That doesn’t mean you can’t eat vegetables.”

“Boys, if Techno doesn’t want to eat vegetables, he doesn’t have to.” Phil said sternly. Wilbur rolled his eyes but stayed quiet. Tommy on the other hand just looked more annoyed. 

“So why do I have to eat them then? That’s so unfair.” Tommy replied. 

“Tommy...” Phil began, looking tired. 

“No, if Techno can eat just steak, so can I.” Tommy scooted his plate further away from him and leaned back in his chair. “Why do you always treat him all different? Just because he’s a pig dude doesn’t mean he’s better than us. It’s so fucking dumb--”

“Tommy!” Phil snapped, bringing his hands down on the table. All three of the boys jumped. Tommy stared at his dad in shock. Phil looked furious as he continued. “Leave. Technoblade. Alone.” 

The children were silent as Phil returned to eating his meal. Tommy was still frozen, his mouth open. He looked over to Wilbur who gave the same baffled look in return. Techno stared down at the table, avoiding their eyes. 

“I can just eat the beans.” Techno said quietly. He fiddled with the fork in his hooves. “I don’t really care about it all that much.”

“No, that isn’t…” Phil sighed and placed his head in his hands. His wings tensed behind him. He rubbed his face then looked at Tommy. “Tommy, I’m sorry. That was uncalled for.”

“It’s okay.” Tommy muttered, not meeting his eyes. The younger boy poked at the food on his plate. 

“No, it wasn’t okay for me to have done that. I shouldn’t have snapped at you.” Phil rested a hand on Tommy’s arm. “I shouldn’t take stress out on you like that.”

Tommy nodded. He wiped at his eyes with his sleeve. Wilbur leaned over, giving him a hug with one arm. Tommy turned to hide his face in his brother’s sweater. 

“So what’s the news?” Techno spoke up. He gripped the fork a little tighter. “If we aren’t in trouble, why did you want to talk to us?”

“A nether portal activated in the storm.” Phil said. Techno jolted upright in surprise. 

“We have a nether portal? I thought you banned them.” 

“I did. I decided to keep an inactive one in the archives, just in case.” Phil grimaced. “And that proved to be a mistake.”

“If it activated, why not just break it again?” Wilbur asked. 

“It isn’t that simple. Portals don’t just activate from storms.” Techno said, the memories of Phil’s journals rushing back to him. “A portal activation is what probably caused the storm, right?”

Phil nodded. “That’s exactly right. Someone on the other side tried to activate it, which probably caused enough of a disturbance to trigger a storm.” Phil’s face became more serious. “Unfortunately, we already have a likely culprit.”

The realization hit Techno at the same time as Wilbur. Both of them answered in unison. “Piglins.”

Ever since Philza had closed all the portals on Empire land 15 years ago, Techno had only heard stories of other piglins. They were one of the few factions that could rival the Antarctic Empire in sheer power, and they were incredibly loyal to their ideals. The part Phil always stressed to Techno growing up had been that dedication. By living with humans, Techno would be seen as a traitor to their moral code. That kind of betrayal didn’t go unpunished. 

“We don’t know their intentions yet.” Phil continued. “I plan to meet with them diplomatically, but piglins have historically only wanted to travel to the overworld for one reason.”

Techno felt his appetite leave him. The whispers in his head grew, chanting one word:  _ War _ . 


	3. Bonfire

Contrary to popular belief, Tommy was not an idiot. Sure, he could be a little hot-headed at times, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t smart. Techno was always in his own head and Wilbur could get too absorbed in his own work to notice others, but Tommy was observant. Although he didn’t know much about piglins or the Nether, he knew from his family’s reactions it was all bad news. Techno in particular seemed upset by the news. He had never been very open to begin with, but now the piglin barely left his room. In the two days since Phil had told them about the portal, Tommy had seen his oldest brother only once. 

“Wilbur, why is Dad so worried about the portal?” Tommy asked for what felt like the fifth time. 

“Can you pass me the flint?” Wilbur asked, not looking up at him. The brunette was concentrating on arranging a stack of pine branches into a layered criss-cross pattern. The thick wool mittens covering his hands was making the task comically difficult. Tommy sighed and tossed over the flint. Wilbur caught it and leaned down to the base of the wood structure. 

“You didn’t answer my question.” 

“I thought you said you wanted to help me build a bonfire?” Wilbur responded. He struck the flint against a piece of steel, sending a flurry of sparks into the wood. A gust of wind blew through the forest clearing and immediately smothered out the sparks. Wilbur let out a string of angry curses. Tommy leaned against a nearby pine tree and pulled his handkerchief higher around his neck. 

“I do. But I also want to know more.” Tommy said. He crossed his arms. “You guys always treat me like I’m some little kid.”

“You  _ are  _ a little kid.” Wilbur replied. He slid off his mittens and tried the flint and steel again. This time the fire caught and Wilbur hurriedly shielded the flame with his hands. 

“I’m twelve, not five. You can tell me about the piglins.” Tommy shot back. After a few minutes it became clear Wilbur wasn’t going to answer him. Tommy tried to change the subject. “So what’s with you recently?”

Wilbur’s head shot up. He looked oddly nervous. “What do you mean?”

“You keep looking behind you all weird-like.” Tommy said. Wilbur flinched away. 

“Don’t worry about it. Just a little paranoid, that’s all.” Wilbur said quickly. He scooted farther back in the snow, patting the ground next to him. “How about you stop being a nuisance and start helping me with this fire?”

Tommy snorted but followed the instructions. He squatted in the snow, taking a look at the small fire Wilbur had started. Wilbur had made Tommy gather wood for the better part of an hour, and from the size of the firewood stack it looked to have paid off. It reached Tommy’s head as he sat looking at it. Tommy grabbed a twig from a nearby bush and poked at the fire. “Wilbur, what can I do?”

“We have to feed it fuel so it doesn’t burn out.” Wilbur motioned to the variety of sticks around them. “For now though, we just watch it.”

“Alright.” Tommy leaned back. His coat kept the snow from soaking into the rest of his clothes as he lay facing the sky. There were no clouds today, only clear sunny blue. The two of them were deep enough in the forest to avoid any other people, but if Tommy looked closely he could still see the castle in the distance. He closed his eyes, listening to the crackle of the fire fill the silence of the woods. 

“You know how Techno is adopted?” Wilbur spoke up. Tommy made a noise in response, opening his eyes. Wilbur pulled his beanie closer around his ears to protect himself from the wind as he continued. “Dad found him in the Nether outside one of the bastions.” 

“I already knew that.” Tommy said. Wilbur shushed him. 

“Do you want this story or not?” 

Tommy didn’t respond. Wilbur looked satisfied. 

“Anyway, the reason Dad was leaving that bastion in the first place was because he was talking to the piglins. They basically rule the entire Nether, but the thing about that dimension is that it sucks and everyone hates it, so they wanted to take the overworld too.” Wilbur tossed a small stick into the fire. It was growing to a size where he no longer had to shield it from the wind. “Dad met with them and basically told them that if they so much as stepped foot in his land, he would destroy them. They weren’t too happy about that so they declared war and Dad had to get rid of all the portals to stop them from coming into our dimension.”

“So why can’t we destroy this portal?” Tommy asked. 

“If they managed to reactivate one portal, they can do it dozens more times. We can’t stop them from coming into our world now.” Wilbur explained. Tommy frowned. 

“But we can fight them, right? Dad has a whole army, there’s no way we could lose.” 

“Tommy, you know how good Techno is at fighting? How dedicated he is?” Wilbur’s face darkened. “Imagine tens of thousands of him and that’s the piglin armies.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.” Wilbur said. Tommy didn’t push him for more. Instead he reached into his pocket and pulled out his carving knife. He picked up a nearby log and set to work. Wilbur noticed. “Where’s your whale one?”

“I’m still working on it.” Tommy said. He used the blade’s edge to peel off the bark. Wilbur watched him work, alternating between feeding the fire and commenting on the carving. By the time Tommy had finished, the sun had fallen below the horizon. He held the carving up in front of him. Its shape was silhouetted by the fire.

“What is it supposed to be?” Wilbur asked, reaching over to touch it. Tommy let him take it. Wilbur turned it over in his hands a few times. “Kind of looks like a goat.”

“It’s supposed to be you.” Tommy said. Wilbur slapped a hand over his mouth. Tommy frowned. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Wilbur replied, barely stifling his chuckles. “I just didn’t realize I looked like shit.”

Tommy growled and gave him a punch. “Fuck off.” Wilbur burst into laughter, nearly falling backwards straight into the snow. “It’s really not that funny.”

Wilbur composed himself, still laughing to himself. He held out the figure. Tommy snatched it. He drew back his arm, preparing to throw it straight into the fire. Wilbur grabbed his arm, lowering it. 

“Don’t, I love it.” Wilbur said. He kept a steady hand on Tommy’s. “Seriously. It’s great.”

“Really?” Tommy looked at the figure again. All he could see were the dumb mistakes covering some fucked up piece of wood. “It sucks though.”

“It doesn’t matter if it sucks or not. You carved my face and I refuse to let you burn my likeness.” Wilbur said with a smile. He let go of Tommy. “Besides, you know how when I first started playing guitar I sounded awful? If I had given up then I wouldn’t have gotten to where I am now.” 

“I guess. I still kinda want to burn it though.” 

Wilbur thought for a second. He reached into his coat. “I have something else we could burn instead. Might be a bit more exciting.”

“Oh yeah?” Tommy sat upright. Wilbur pulled out a bottle full of yellow dust. He held it out. 

“You may have the honors.” He said dramatically. Tommy took the bottle and went to uncork it. Wilbur shook his head. “Toss about a pinchful in.”

Tommy shrugged, dumped some of the powder in his hand, and threw it full force into the fire. The second the dust touched the flames it ignited. The bonfire instantly turned into a fireball, engulfing the wooden structure. Sparks showered the area and Tommy had to fling an arm over his face to avoid them. “Wilbur, holy shit!”

“Oh fuck, that was amazing!” Wilbur yelled, laughing hysterically. The fire glinted off his glasses, hiding his eyes behind the light. Tommy started to laugh alongside him. The bonfire roared in full force in front of them, casting the area in a yellow glow. 

“What even was that?” Tommy asked. 

“Blaze powder.” Wilbur said. “Grabbed a little bit from the brewery.”

“You’re a fucking menace.” Tommy said with a grin, slipping the bottle underneath his coat. He moved back slightly from the fire and tossed a few sticks in its direction. Wilbur on the other hand moved closer. He reached out as if about to touch the flame, but stopped just far enough away to warm his hands. 

“It should probably die down in a few minutes.” Wilbur said. The fire seemed to hear his words, shrinking down in size.

Tommy poked at the coals around the base of the fire with a stick. Wilbur stilled next to him. Tommy looked over at him curiously. “What’s up--?”

“We need to go.” Wilbur’s face was suddenly very pale. He rushed to his feet, stumbling away from the fire. Tommy frowned. 

“The fire’s still going though.”

“The shadow's bac--” Wilbur shook his head. “It’s getting dark. We need to go.” 

Tommy bit his lip, letting out a nervous chuckle. “You’re freaking me out a bit.”

“Tommy, please.” Wilbur pleaded. Tommy noticed he was avoiding looking down at the ground. Tommy gave in. Wilbur looked satisfied, turning to the tree line and practically running back down the path. Tommy followed him, keeping a hand on the dagger hidden under his jacket. 

By the time they reached the castle doors, it was pitch black. Philza stood just inside, chatting with a royal guard. Wilbur rushed past Phil, practically sprinting past the entry hall to the stairs. Phil looked confused, his hand still paused mid-wave. Tommy walked up to him, jumping up to give him a high five. “Hey Dad, we were just out exploring the woods.”

“Ah. Did you have fun?” Phil asked. He glanced behind him to where Wilbur had disappeared. “And what has gotten into your brother?”

“He’s in one of his moods. We had fun though.” Tommy explained, making sure to keep his tone light. Both Phil and the guard exchanged looks. 

“Alright, then.” Phil replied, looking no less bewildered. Tommy tried to keep acting calm, but even so he found himself hugging his dad. Phil for his part didn’t comment: he just hugged his son a little tighter instead. 

\---

The next morning over breakfast, Wilbur didn’t mention the fire. Tommy wisely stayed quiet. The dark bags under Wilbur’s eyes told him all he wanted to know. 


	4. Negotiations

It had been a long time since Philza had last stood in front of a Nether portal. He could still remember the exact day 15 years ago: the stench of sulfur, the half dozen arrows sticking out of his back, and the frightened piglin child clinging to his arm as if his life depended on it. Needless to say, he was not looking forward to a repeat of  _ that  _ whole incident. 

“Are you sure you don’t want me to come along?” Wilbur asked from the doorway of the armory. Phil shook his head. 

“Absolutely not. I’m not putting one of you in danger if I can help it.”

“I’m pretty good at the whole diplomacy thing, though. I might be able to talk them down.” Wilbur said, leaning against the doorframe. 

“Your highness, it will be much safer if you remain here.” One of the royal guardsmen spoke up. Wilbur sighed in frustration. Phil stopped donning his armor to turn and face him. 

“Wil, you will have your time to lead. Now, however, is not that time.” Phil said. He studied his son’s face and frowned. “Besides, you look about to collapse as it is. Have you been getting enough sleep?”

“I’m fine.” Wilbur replied. “If there’s anyone you should be worried about here, it’s Techno. I haven’t seen him in days.”

“He just needs some time alone.” Phil said, not sure if he was trying to reassure Wilbur or himself. Whatever the case, neither party looked convinced. Phil sighed and went back to buckling the diamond chestplate's straps. "Wilbur, how about you help me with my wings?"

Wilbur helped him place the layers of diamond and cloth over his wings. Phil slipped on long metal blades on the outer edge of his feathers, effectively turning his wings into two massive weapons. He covered the armor with a banner displaying the Antarctic Empire's colors. The several guards on either side of him copied his action, draping banners of their own over their shields. Wilbur raised an eyebrow.

"This is supposed to be a diplomatic mission, right? No fighting?"

"We want to send them a message that we are willing to solve this peacefully," Phil explained, his face darkening. He reached down to adjust the sword hanging from his hip. "But that doesn't mean we let them think we’re pushovers."

Having secured the last of the armor to the wings, Wilbur stepped back. “Hey Dad?”

“Yes?”

“Please come back safe.”

\---

Philza knew better than anyone here that stepping through that portal could be a trap. It would be all too easy for the portal to drop him and his men straight into a pit of angry hoglins or worse. Still, he didn’t have a choice here. He kept a neutral expression on his face as he stared into the swirling purple before him. He didn’t want his men to know he was afraid. 

“Make sure you keep your  _ Fire Resistance _ up at all times. Take as many potions as necessary.” Phil reminded the soldiers. All ten of them nodded, patting the orange bottles strapped to their waists. Phil had spent the last of the Empire’s remaining blaze powder brewing those potions. If negotiations fell through, that could be the last of the Antarctic Empire’s potions for a long, long time. 

" We’re ready on your command, your majesty.” One of the guards said. Phil nodded and reached a hand out into the portal. His fingers brushed against the purple energy. Numbness crept up his arm. Phil took a deep breath and stepped through the portal. 

Stepping out from the portal felt like waking up from a deep sleep. Pins and needles stung Phil’s skin and he shivered despite the oppressive heat. His vision cleared and his surroundings came into focus. All around him was dark. He blinked. The portal was in a blackstone room, much unlike the nether wastes he had left it in. Strange blue lanterns hung on long chains from the ceiling. In front of him lay two red doors. The last of his soldiers stepped into the Nether behind him. 

“ _ State your name and business. _ ” A voice demanded in a language Philza barely recognized. Despite not having spoken Porcine in years, he could still make out the words in between the snorts and squeals. 

“ _ King Philza of the Antarctic Empire. I have come on behalf of my country to bargain. _ ” Phil replied, glancing around for the source of the voice. He heard a grunt and then the two red doors were wrenched open. A squad of at least 30 piglins, each armed with a crossbow, now faced him. The largest was covered head to toe in glittering gold armor. They pointed at Phil with a gloved hoof. 

“ _ We have been expecting you, Angel _ .” The piglin said. Phil raised an eyebrow at the mention of his old title. It had been years since he last heard someone mention his divine rank. 

“ _ I know our people did not part on the best of terms, but I hope to mend our relationship. _ ” Phil said. The piglin nodded.

“ _ We hope for the same. _ ” They waved Phil through the doors. He obliged, motioning to his soldiers to follow him. Phil heard one of them gasp as they stepped outside of the small portal room and onto the bridge. The sprawling caverns of the Nether lay before them in all their glory. Dark red netherrack dripped down from the ceiling onto the crimson forest surrounding them. Strange trees, a mix between a plant and a fungus, sprouted out of the red mycelium. Spores and ash floated through the air between them, occasionally falling into the lava ocean below. Thick crimson vines covered the trees, crawling from their fungal caps and up the walls of the bridge. The bastion across from them dwarfed the surrounding woods. It towered up into the nether ceiling and its sheer scale sent shivers down Phil’s spine. Deep within he could hear squeals. 

“They’ve expanded since I’ve last been here.” Phil said softly. 

“Is it larger than the castle?” One of his men asked in amazement. Phil nodded. He scanned the blackstone walls. They were solid and impenetrable, save for the occasional row of arrow slits. There was no elaborate architecture here, only ruthless efficiency. 

The piglin leading the group motioned them to the base of the bastion. They leaned up against the main wall next to a massive iron gate and knocked. A moment later the gate began to grind open. Beyond lay an entry hall covered in gold, with balconies full of armed piglins encircling the room. Lava poured down the walls into the floor, collecting in the gaps between the stones. Phil tread carefully as he entered. He walked forwards, stopping in the middle of the hall to admire the sight before him. 

A throne carved from equal parts blackstone, gold, and wither skulls dominated the far wall. Fine jewelry and silks were draped on the seat. Dozens of piglin brutes stood on either side of the structure, axes in hand. Somewhere a horn was blown and all the piglin in the balcony jumped to their feet. 

“ _ You entered at the perfect time, Angel. The Legion’s court is about to begin. _ ” The piglin guide noted. Phil acted surprised. The work he had put in years ago tracking their routines to the overworld’s time seemed to have paid off. It was an advantage over them he didn’t want to let slip. 

The brutes next to the throne stepped to the side. A piglin with only one tusk walked out from behind them. Her face was covered by a veil of gold chains and rubies. A thick black coat hung from her shoulders, the fur connected to a set of gold armor. As she took the throne and pushed back her veil, Phil noticed a nasty scar across her face. 

“ _ The Angel of Death. _ ” The piglin spoke. Her voice had a low buzz to it. “ _ It is an honor to finally meet the creature behind the myths. I have been expecting your appearance. _ ” 

Phil gave a slight bow. He kept his wings slightly extended out behind him. “ _ Thank you. To whom do I have the pleasure of speaking with? _ ”

“ _ Splitsnout. _ ” Splitsnout leaned against the arm of her throne and tapped her remaining tusk. “ _ General Sharptooth’s successor. _ ” 

“ _ Ah. _ ” Phil replied. He shuffled awkwardly. “ _ I apologize for how negotiations with the late general ended. _ ”

Splitsnout waved a hoof. “ _ It’s in the past. I hope this meeting can be a new era for relations between our people. _ ” 

“ _ As do I. _ ” Phil said. The piglin around him began to speak amongst themselves. A low rumble filled the room. One of the soldiers to Phil’s left nudged him, giving him a look. Phil gave her a small nod in return before continuing. “ _ The Legion seems to have grown in my absence. _ ”

“ _ Let’s cut the pleasantries. We both know the reason you’re here. _ ” Splitsnout said with a smile. The expression was more unnerving than friendly. “ _ Our nations were on the brink of war 15 years ago, and I suspect opening the portal may have pushed us to the edge again. _ ”

“ _ You would be correct, although I hope to settle this peacefully. _ ” 

Splitsnout hummed in response. She slipped a hoof out of her pocket to pull out a quill and a scroll case. With a flick she opened it and let the paper roll out. “ _ I have taken the initiative of drafting up an agreement between our people that I believe will benefit us both. _ ”

Phil tried to hide the surprise on his face. He ruffled his wings uncomfortably. “ _ What are the terms? _ ”

" _ The Legion wants free trade with the Overworld factions. In exchange, we will refrain from moving any military units through the portals. _ " Splitsnout unfurled more of the scroll and continued. " _ As an apology for the assassination of General Sharptooth, the Antarctic Empire will deliver an amount of gold equal to his weight at time of death. The Legion will then deliver an armor set's worth of netherite ingots to help settle the debt between our nation's."  _ She paused and looked to Philza for a reaction.

" _ The conditions seem fair so far."  _ Phil said. Splitsnout nodded in response. 

" _ Good. We have one final condition _ ."

" _ I'm listening. _ " Phil replied. He reached down to his belt to pull out a pen in preparation. 

“ _ 15 years ago, you took in a prisoner of the Legion. We want him back with an apology. _ ” The general leaned back in her chair. “ _ That is our final condition. _ ”

“ _ No. _ ” 

“ _ No? _ ” Splitsnout looked genuinely surprised. 

“ _ The ‘prisoner’ I took was a  _ **_child_ ** _. I will not apologize for saving a child from execution, and I will not return him to you. _ ” Phil raised his wings. The edges of his feathers scraped against the blackstone walls. Next to him, his soldiers’ tensed. “ _ If that is your final condition, I cannot agree to it. _ ”

“ _ Then we cannot reach a decision. _ ” Splitsnout said. 

“ _ It appears so. _ ” Phil replied. The hooves of the piglins around them drifted to their swords. He could hear the distinctive sound of a crossbow loading behind him. 

“ _ You’re willing to sacrifice the lives of your men and all your citizens for a prisoner that isn’t even of your own kind? That is a poor choice from a leader such as yourself _ .”

“ _ Are you willing to do the same for the sake of your own pride? _ ” Phil asked calmly. “ _ Is the execution of someone who committed no crime worth more than your people? _ ” 

Splitsnout’s red eyes narrowed. The brutes next to her bared their tusks at Phil in a warning. “ _ Do not insult me in front of my people, Angel. _ ”

“ _ Then do not threaten me in front of mine, General. _ ” Phil slid his hand on top of his sword. His soldiers copied him. Phil turned to them, speaking in the Common tongue. “Be ready to run.”

Although Splitsnout could not understand his words, she seemed to understand his intentions. She slammed a fist into the arm of her throne. The gate behind them began to fall. Phil drew his sword and shielded the men around him with his wings. “Now!”

The first round of crossbow bolts were unorganized. Phil's armor easily deflected them as he raced towards the exit. He was not so lucky with the second round. Several bolts hit their mark, sinking into his wings. He stumbled but kept moving. Piglin guards were already moving in front of the gate. Phil slammed into the first one full-force. One tried to raise their axe but Phil was faster. His sword sank through the decorative gold plating like butter. From all around him he could hear squeals of rage and crossbows firing. His wings were managing to shield his soldiers from the worst of it, but the damage was taking its toll. 

"The gate!" Someone cried out. Phil spun to look at it. The gate was almost to the floor at this point. He grimaced and grabbed a crossbow off of the floor. The gears on the gate were visible just within the space where the structure met the wall. Phil took aim and fired, wedging a metal bolt in the machinery. The gate crunched to a halt. He and his men ducked under the opening and took off down the bridge. The piglins outside attempted to block them and Phil swept a wing into them. The force of the blow knocked them into the lava far below. 

"Get through the portal!" Phil commanded. His human guards listened. They kept their shields raised as they backed into the portal room. The rain of crossbow bolts was unyielding. Phil's wings looked just as battered as the shields at this point. He winced as his shoulder brushed against the doorway. There was a deep wound across it, one that Phil hadn't noticed from the adrenaline. 

The last of his men slipped into the portal and Phil threw himself behind them, shielding his back with his wings. He stumbled into the cool air, nearly falling straight to the floor.

Wilbur was standing in the archival room outside the portal. His face shifted into pure horror as he laid eyes on the bloodied soldiers and Phil. He rushed forwards and caught the winged man in his arms. 

“Are you okay?” Wilbur’s voice was high and panicked. “Gods, what happened there, Dad?” 

“Negotiations fell through.” Phil wiped a splatter of blood off of his face. He grimly met Wilbur’s eyes. “The Antarctic Empire is officially at war.”


	5. Blood God

The voices were getting worse. Technoblade was used to their presence--it was hard not to be at this point--but they still unnerved him at times. He could deal with their constant demands for blood and occasional high pitched humming. Those were easy to tune out. It was when they got an idea in their head that it became harder to ignore. 

"Can you please keep it down, guys? I'm busy right now." Techno grumbled, pulling his pillow over his head. The voices hissed around him angrily.

_ Your family is in danger, _ they whispered.  _ We need blood to save them. Get your sword and-- _

"We don't need anything." Techno interrupted. "My family's fine. I'm not stabbing anyone for you guys, okay?" 

A high-pitched humming was the only response. Techno groaned and burrowed deeper under the blankets. Since the dinner conversation the voices had not shut up about his family's safety. It was hard enough dealing with the stress of a possible invasion; the addition of thousands of voices constantly reminding him of the danger just seemed cruel. Spending less time around his family had helped, but just barely. 

"Guys, I have a headache. Can you be a little quieter?" Techno tried. Nothing changed. The humming seemed to grow louder if anything. Techno was about to start banging his head against the wall when he heard a knock at the door. His head jolted up, sending the pillow falling to the floor. "What?"

"Techno, get out here!" Tommy yelled. Techno winced as the child slammed his fist against the door again. 

"Have you ever tried being a little quieter?" Techno said. He laid back down on the bed and tried to tune the humming out. "I'm dealing with something right now."

"Dad's hurt, please get out here. I don't know what to do." Tommy's voice cracked. Techno was at the door within seconds. He wrenched it open. Tommy stood before him, his face red and puffy. The kid was crying despite his best attempts to hide it. 

"Where is he?" Techno demanded. He snatched his blue robe off the back of his door and threw it over his pajamas. Tommy wiped at his face.

"They brought him to the medical wing. Wilbur said--" Tommy took a deep breath. "He said Dad's wings might not work anymore."

Techno ran down the hall. The voices were screaming at him now.  _ You let this happen. You should have listened.  _

"Techno, I can't keep up!" Tommy called from behind him. Techno turned and hoisted Tommy into his back. Tommy wrapped his arms around his neck. Techno resumed his pace. Tommy was heavy but the adrenaline pumping through his veins distracted him. The two of them rushed into the medical bay. Tommy hopped off his back and stumbled over to Wilbur in the center of the room.

The room was covered in feathers and blood. Phil was lying unconscious on a bed. Several clerics bustled around him, tending to the wounded soldiers on the other beds. His wings were draped across the floor. They were curled slightly upwards, barely disguising the bandages. Burns and torn out feathers covered the wings. Dark blood dripped from under the bandages, staining the grey feathers beneath. Dozens of bolts, their tips covered in blood and bits of down, were collected in a bucket nearby. 

"Who did this to him?" Techno asked. His hooves were shaking as he gripped them into fists. He took a step forward, unable to keep his eyes off the bloody wings. 

Wilbur looked over to him. Techno felt his heart stop. His brother's shadow was cast long and dark on the wall behind him, looming over the room like some formless beast.

"Your highness?" One of the clerics hurried over to Techno. They went to rest a hand on his shoulder but paused, leaving it hovering awkwardly. "Your father is unconscious, but stable. He should wake back up in a few hours--"

"His wings. How are his wings?" Techno asked. The voices began to scream inside his head.  _ Phil is hurt. Phil is hurt. Phil is hurt. Phil is-- _

"We don't know." The cleric admitted. "It's too early to tell the extent of the injuries."

"The piglins did this to him." Wilbur spoke up quietly. His glasses were gone, revealing dark bags under his eyes. His blue uniform was stained with bloody handprints. "We're at war, Techno."

All the eyes in the room were on Techno. He was suddenly too aware of his wrinkled pajamas and the fact he hadn't showered in three days. Wilbur and Tommy both waited expectantly. They were waiting for him to say something,  _ do something _ , but he felt frozen to the ground. 

_ The portal,  _ The voices whispered. Techno straightened.  _ Then the sword. _

"The portal. Is it still active?" He asked, keeping the tremor out of his voice. Wilbur shook his head no. "Alright. We need to prepare for the next attack. Wilbur, gather every messenger we have and get them moving across the Empire. We can't risk even one village being unaware."

"What should I do?" Tommy asked. The boy wore a determined expression on his face despite the blood and tears staining his clothes. 

"Tommy, keep an eye on Phil. The second he wakes up, come get me." Techno instructed. With each command he gave, he felt more in control of the situation. Even the voices seemed more muffled. Techno glanced around the room, spotting a guard. "You. Find every general and advisor you can and bring them to the main gathering hall. I'll meet with them in ten minutes."

Each person nodded, scurrying off to their tasks. Techno took one last look at Phil before striding out of the room. He pushed the sick feeling in his gut deep down. He would have time to panic later. Right now his country needed a leader. 

\---

Technoblade didn't have enough time for a shower. He barely had time to slip on clothes and make it downstairs. It didn't help that his usual blue uniform was dirty, forcing him to don his enchanted armor. The occasional hum of the armor still made him jump. 

"Prince Technoblade, may we inquire about the absence of your father?" One of the generals seated at the hall's table asked. 

"The King was hurt during negotiations in the Nether." Techno explained, shuffling in his seat at the head of the table. There were at least 40 people here, all of them distinguished leaders and incredibly important to the well-being of the country. Techno couldn't remember any of their names to save his life. Murmuring broke out across the hall and Techno chewed his lip nervously. 

"Is he well enough to lead?" Another person asked. 

"Not currently." Techno replied. The murmuring grew louder.

"Could you give us a little more information?" Someone snapped. Techno flushed.

"Sorry." He tried to gather his thoughts again. His confidence had left him the moment he had stepped into this room. Despite his leadership in battle, speaking had never been his strong suit. He felt like a kid again under their disapproving stares. "Phil...my father...he's...uh…"

"Are you the current head of the country?" A person in the back shouted. 

"Kinda?" Techno replied. He tapped his hoof against the table. The voices in his head started up again. 

_ Grab your sword. Blood for the Blood God.  _

"I'm not stabbing anyone right now. That's so violent, guys." Techno muttered back. The person nearest to him blanched. 

"What?"

"Nothing!" Techno said. He wanted nothing more in this moment then to just dissolve straight into the floor. 

_ This is embarrassing. _

"Shut up." Techno whispered back. The noise in the hall had grown. People were yelling at each other, yelling at him. Vaguely he could hear the sound of the main door opening then slamming shut. He buried his head in his hooves. Great. Just what he needed. Another person in here with him. 

A hand rested on Techno's head. He looked up. Wilbur was standing next to him in a bright, clean uniform. He gave the piglin a reassuring smile. "Need some help?"

"Gods yes." Techno sighed in relief. He practically threw himself out of his chair to give Wilbur the seat. "I was struggling out there."

"I could tell." Wilbur said. He sat down and scanned the room. "I already sent off the messengers."

"That's cool." Techno said lamely. He cringed. "I'm--I'm just going to head back to my room for a bit."

Wilbur gave him a look but said nothing. Instead his brother slammed a hand on the table. "Everyone, listen up. I'm speaking on behalf of my father and my eldest brother today. We are a nation at war, and if we are to survive, we must organize."

The gathering hall went silent as the brunette spoke. Techno slipped away while Wilbur continued his speech. Once outside the gathering hall he let out a long, shaky breath. He owed Wilbur after this. 

\---

Techno was nearly to his room when a scream interrupted him. He rushed over to the window and glanced outside. The town surrounding the castle was in pandemonium. People filled the streets, pushing towards the castle in a panic. Techno squinted into the distance. A purple glow was rising up from the edge of town. He pushed away from the window. If he wanted to stand a chance against whatever forces were now out there, he'd have to work fast.

The royal armory was already full of soldiers equipping for battle. News had evidently traveled fast within the ranks. Techno silently joined them. He drew as little attention to himself as possible digging through the rows of weapons. His hooves brushed up against a sword and he pulled it off the wall. He strapped the weapon to his waist for later and began searching for the potions. The Empire's stocks of them had run low over the years, but that didn't stop Techno from gathering an arm full of every variety he could find. It was better he had them then some random foot soldier. 

Getting outside the castle gates proved harder than expected. Techno had to physically push himself through the panicked crowds to get out on the streets. He glanced around the area and his eyes landed on an abandoned market stall. A grey horse was tied to the stall’s fence and Techno grinned. After a brief moment of struggling to hoist himself up, he was off. The crowd parted around them as Techno rode the draft horse towards the purple sparks. The horse’s hooves kicked up equal parts mud and snow as it galloped through the streets. Techno urged it to go faster. His shoulders were practically brushing against the walls of the homes as he sped through them. The streets opened up the farther from the castle Techno got. By the time he reached the source of the glow, the narrow road had opened up into a plaza. He slowed his horse to a stop.

A large obsidian ring jutted out from the middle of the clearing. It radiated heat and spat out a constant stream of sparks. Purple light overpowered the area’s sunlight in intensity. A churning liquid was strung inside the obsidian circle. The horse beneath Techno reared up with a startled whinny. Techno tugged on the reins, desperately fighting to regain control. A loud squeal interrupted his efforts. He glanced up. They were not alone in this plaza. Next to the market stalls stood a massive boar. It was easily the size of a cottage, if not bigger. The creature’s tusks were large enough to be blades and its tan skin was covered in thick black spines. It focused on him with milky white eyes. Techno looked to either side of it. Piglins stepped out of the alleys all around him, attracted to the noise. 

“Huh.” Techno whispered. It was strange looking at the piglins. They looked like him, but tougher somehow. Burn scars and bristles covered parts of their body where Techno’s skin was smooth. Even his pink hide was brighter than theirs. They were dressed in strange black armor and armed with crossbows, but although they kept the weapons trained on him they did not fire. Techno raised a hoof in greeting. “Hello?”

“ _ State your name and rank. _ ” One of the piglins snarled. Techno blinked. The language was unlike what he had ever heard, yet he still understood it perfectly. 

“Prince Technoblade of the Empire.” He replied. The piglins glanced at each other in confusion. 

“ _ In Porcine, soldier. _ ”

“I...don’t know how to do that.” Techno said, as if it would make a difference. He and the piglins kept awkwardly staring at each other. Finally Techno sighed and slid off his horse. He drew his sword and slipped another hand under his coat. His hooves closed around a bottle. 

“ _ Drop the weapon! _ ” A piglin shouted, raising their crossbow. The boar creature snorted and pawed at the ground. Techno kept his eyes on it. Slowly he began pulling out the potion. He heard the click of the crossbow and threw his arm up. A bolt buried itself into his armor and Techno took this as his cue to smash the  _ Strength  _ potion onto his chest. Energy surged through him and he bared his tusks. 

“This one’s for Philza.” Techno muttered as he collided with the first piglin. The creature stumbled backwards and Techno easily sank his sword into their chest. He moved on to the next target, tanking the bolts and arrows. The piglins closest to him threw their crossbows on the floor in favor of their axes. Techno spun around to block another blow. 

“ _ Get the others! _ ” Someone yelled. A piglin took off towards the portal. Techno moved to stop them. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the hog charge and then he suddenly was airborne. The world spun around him and he landed with a thud onto the cobble. He pushed his face up off the road. The hog creature squealed and charged him again. Techno barely rolled out of the way in time. He snapped out his arm and grabbed onto one of its tusks. It flung its head upwards and Techno kept his grip, letting the momentum hurl him upwards. He twisted in the air and landed onto the beast’s back. It snarled and tried to buck him off. Techno stabbed his sword into its neck and jumped off. He kept his grip on the sword’s hilt as he fell downwards, keeping the blade deep within its flesh. The hog screeched. Its voice trailing off in a wet gurgle as the sword tore through its neck. Techno landed on the ground and pulled his sword out. His entire front half was drenched in the creature’s blood. 

_ Blood for the Blood God! _ The voices cheered. Techno’s face morphed into a feral grin. He wasted no time watching the hoglin bleed out. One of the piglins was almost fully in the portal when Techno pounced. He hurled the piglin to the ground and slammed his sword straight through their face. The soldiers around him began backing up. A lucky crossbow bolt managed to pierce Techno’s armor and embedded itself into his side. He paid it no mind. Even injured he was still faster than them. 

The rest of the fight was over within minutes. Techno rubbed the blood out of his eyes, breathing heavily. He staggered to the portal and studied the obsidian. He traced one of the cracks between the rocks and slid his sword into it. Using his body as a lever, he popped the rock in two. The portal vanished with a hiss. With the purple glow gone, Techno looked back out at the city. Dozens more of the lights were visible on the horizon. Techno grabbed his sword. The voices had spent days demanding blood. It was now time for Techno to deliver.


	6. Brothers

The whale was starting to take shape. Tommy had almost finished on the wooden tail already. A few more hours and he might be ready to move on to the head. Tommy sighed and tapped the side of Phil’s bed with the knife. The motion made a pleasant ding against the metal bed frame. Tommy gave it another tap, then another, then another.

“Guess Wilbur isn’t the only musical talent in the family.” Phil said with a chuckle. Tommy nearly dropped the knife in surprise. 

“Dad?” 

“That’s me.” Phil said with a little wave of his hands. He tried to push himself up but burst into a fit of coughing. Tommy grabbed onto his arms and pulled him back down. Phil looked down at his bandaged chest. “Ah. That would explain it.”

“Are we really at war?” Tommy’s words tumbled out of his mouth. “Wilbur told me that you were hurt and that the piglins were invading, and then Techno said he was gonna meet with your advisors and that I should go get him when you wake up--” Tommy slapped a hand on his forehead. “Fuck, I've gotta go find Techno.”

“Woah there, slow down.” Phil gently pried Tommy’s hands off of his arm. “What was that about Techno meeting with my advisors?”

“He’s in the main hall, I think.” Tommy stood up, awkwardly shifting from foot to foot. Phil tried again to push himself up. From the expression on his father’s face, Tommy could tell it hurt. Finally Phil laid back down in defeat. 

“Don’t let me slow you down.” Phil said with a sigh. Tommy nodded. 

“I’ll be right back!” He yelled, darting out the door and down the hall. The castle was strangely empty. Normally he would have to dodge guards running down the stairs, but he didn’t see anyone. He ran up to the gathering hall doors and pushed them open. A crowd of important looking individuals stared back. Tommy gulped. 

“Any of you guys know where my brother is?” He asked. A hand grabbed onto his shoulder and yanked him backwards. The doors to the meeting hall closed with a thud. Tommy instinctively jammed his elbow straight into the stomach of his attacker. Wilbur just barely dodged out of the way. “Wilbur? Where’s Technoblade?

“He’s out in the city. Tommy, you actually came at the perfect time.” Wilbur said with a smile. Tommy frowned. The expression on his brother’s face unnerved him somehow. 

“Dad just woke up.” Tommy said, starting to move back towards the stairs. Wilbur grabbed his arm. Tommy tried to tug away but Wilbur held him tight. 

“I need to talk to you.” Wilbur replied. He started to drag Tommy down the hall. Tommy fought back, kicking him in the shins. Wilbur’s grip loosened and Tommy tore away. 

“I actually should get back to Dad. He’s probably worried that I’m taking so long.” Tommy lied. Something about Wilbur had him on edge. His brother looked off. His hair was falling out from his beanie and his glasses were all fogged up. Tommy’s instincts told him to run. 

“It will just take a second.” Wilbur pleaded. He reached out for Tommy but the boy dodged past him. Wilbur bared his teeth and lunged forwards, grabbing his handkerchief and pulling him backwards. “Tommy! This is important.”

Tommy wrestled with Wilbur, but his older brother held strong. Tommy gave up. “Fine.”

Wilbur’s face lit up. He practically dragged Tommy to a nearby room, pushing him in and closing the door behind them. Tommy recognized it as one of the palace’s pantry closets. He watched Wilbur carefully. The older boy was trembling. 

"Wilbur, why are you acting all weird?" Tommy asked, glancing nervously around at the closet. Wilbur shushed him, hurriedly extinguishing all the lanterns. He stopped at the final one and left it lit.

"Does my shadow look different?" Wilbur asked, whirling around to face his younger brother. Tommy shrank back. Wilbur's expression was wild in the dim light, the lantern's glow casting strange shadows across his face.

"Your...shadow?" Tommy said. Wilbur nodded frantically. He grabbed Tommy's shoulder and turned the boy to face the wall. Tommy looked at it. Both of their shadows were cast against the shelves. He looked back at Wilbur. "They look normal to me."

Wilbur shook his head violently. He pushed Tommy closer to the shelves. "Look harder. Doesn't it look like mine has…"

"Horns." Tommy whispered. He reached out a hand to touch the spot on the boxes where Wilbur's shadow stood. It was sharper than Tommy's shadow somehow, the features more defined and recognizable even in the flickering light. More noticeable than that however were the two curling horns that seemed to grow from the shadow's head. Tommy looked warily back at Wilbur as if suddenly expecting his brother to sprout horns before him. 

"My shadow's been weird since the storm. The horns just showed up recently." Wilbur explained, ruffling his hair. The shadow mirrored his actions. The silhouette’s hand seemed to touch its horns. 

" We should tell Dad.” Tommy said. He backed up, placing a hand on the pantry doorknob. 

“No!” Wilbur said sharply. He moved forwards, nearly knocking Tommy over in his rush to stop him from leaving. He grabbed Tommy’s arms, leaning over to look him in the eye. “Listen, we can’t tell Dad. Or Techno."

“Let go of me.” Tommy shimmied out of Wilbur’s grip. “Why can’t we tell them?”

“I…” Wilbur started. He had an odd look in his eye, one that made Tommy shiver. “I can deal with this on my own. This could be...a fun little secret! One we keep between us, okay?” 

“I guess.” Tommy replied. Wilbur’s face lit up in a smile.

“Good. Just the two of us need to know about this. The dynamic duo.” 

“The dynamic duo.” Tommy muttered. He leaned into the door behind him. “Can I go now, Wilbur?””

Wilbur hesitated. He ran his fingers through his hair, casting a glance at his shadow. For an awful moment Tommy wondered if Wilbur wouldn’t let him leave. Wilbur’s face softened and he gave Tommy a hug. “Yeah. You can go.” 

Tommy hugged him back. He kept his eyes on Wilbur’s shadow next to them. Out of the corner of his eye, he could swear it was moving on its own in the dim light. Finally Wilbur let him go and Tommy practically sprinted out of the pantry. He didn’t stop running until he was back in the room with Philza.


	7. Spiral

Everyone thought Wilbur wasn’t doing well. He was aware of that. Well aware of it. His family couldn’t seem to shut up about it. They commented on the way he stumbled when he walked now, the dark circles under his eyes, the way he always looked behind him. It was unfair. Even Tommy thought he was a freak. Wilbur clenched his fist at the thought. He was still standing in the middle of the pantry closet where Tommy had left him. He had spilled his heart and soul out to his brother, and what had he done? Look at Wilbur like he was some crazy person and run away. 

“I hate this.” Wilbur whispered to no one in particular. It just didn’t make sense. All the officials had loved him. They had hung on every word of his back in the gathering hall. Why was his family so different? 

“Prince Soot?” A guard called from nearby. Wilbur took a deep breath and stepped out into the hall. He tried to look composed. 

“Yes?”

“Are...are you alright?” The soldier looked taken aback at his sudden appearance from the pantry. Wilbur nodded quickly and the soldier continued. “Your father has awoken and requests your presence.”

Wilbur grinned. Philza wouldn’t think he was crazy. He would be so proud of Wilbur when he heard all about his speech. He wouldn’t throw out his stuff then ignore him for days like Techno had, or look at him like he was beyond saving like Tommy. Wilbur could trust him, he just  _ knew  _ he could. 

“Dad, I heard you needed me.” Wilbur stepped into the hospital room. Phil was propped up on the bed with several pillows. He looked better than before, as long as Wilbur ignored the bandages. A movement in the corner caught his eye. Tommy was sitting next to Phil looking warily at Wilbur. The boy was clutching his carving knife.

“Hey, Wil.” Phil greeted him with a kind smile. He reached over and patted an empty chair on the side of his bed. “How about you take a seat, mate.”

Wilbur sat down obediently. Tommy sat across from him, his blue eyes wide. Wilbur gave him a little wave and Tommy flinched. 

“Are you feeling any better?” Wilbur asked. Phil nodded. Wilbur sighed with relief. “That’s good. What did you need me for?”

“I’ve heard you’ve been having a bit of trouble.” Phil began. Wilbur’s blood went cold. He forced himself to act casual.

“Oh yeah? Who told you that?” Wilbur asked. Tommy gripped his knife even tighter. Wilbur noted how his knuckles were turning white. 

“Wilbur, you’ve started acting all weird and shit.” Tommy said. He refused to meet Wilbur’s glare. “Something’s wrong with you.”

“Nothing’s wrong with me!” Wilbur snarled. He looked over to Phil’s concerned face. “Everything is fine. I just gave a speech, you know. It was a good speech. They all loved me.”

Phil rested a hand on Wilbur’s shoulder. “Alright, let’s all calm down. If something is wrong, I just want to help.”

Wilbur tore Phil’s hand off of him and jumped to his feet. “I don’t need help! I’m not crazy, okay?”

“I never said you were.” Phil said calmly. Wilbur could feel the two pairs of blue eyes on him. It sickened him. Just because he was working through a few things right now didn’t mean he should be judged this way. 

“I’m doing fine.” Wilbur reiterated. 

“No you aren't.” Tommy replied angrily. He pointed a finger at Wilbur. “Dad, do you know what he told me earlier?”

Wilbur’s eyes widened. Without thinking he leaned across the bed and shoved Tommy to the floor. Tommy landed with a thud. His knife slid out from his hand. Wilbur leaped after him. He dodged around the bed and pinned Tommy to the ground. The younger boy struggled beneath him, shouting curses. 

“I told you not to tell him!” Wilbur screamed. He raised his fist. “I told you to do one thing and you couldn’t fucking do it!”

A hand grabbed his wrist. Wilbur was tossed backwards across the room. He yelped as his face glanced off the floor. Philza stood between him and Tommy. The man’s wings were still limp behind him, but that didn’t make him any less intimidating. 

“Wilbur, what is going on?” Phil demanded. Wilbur couldn’t respond. His hands were shaking. 

_ Oh gods, I almost hit him.  _ A voice in Wilbur’s head said. Another, deeper one spoke up.  _ I bet it would have shut him up if you had. _

Wilbur was back in his room before he even noticed he was running. He slammed the door behind him, shakily fiddling with the lock. He slumped to the floor. His shadow stretched out before him. Wilbur bit back a sob. The goat horns were still there.

“I really am going crazy.” He whispered to himself. His shadow twisted and Wilbur scurried backwards. His back hit the door. The shadow moved on its own. It slid over to him, running up his arms. Wilbur bit back a scream.

_ You’re wrong, Wilbur,  _ the deep voice from before murmured in the back of his head.  _ This isn’t you going crazy.  _

“Then what the hell do you think is this?” Wilbur choked out. The shadow melted into his jacket, darkening the blue to black. 

_ What do  _ **_I_ ** _ think?  _ It asked, its voice becoming distorted.  **_I_ ** _ think this could be the start of a beautiful friendship. _


	8. Alone

The Blood God had never felt so alive. Gore coated every inch of His body. The piglins had stood no chance. He was a God and they were nothing but invaders in His domain. The voices were a hurricane of noise inside His head. They moved as a single creature across the streets. As the last of the piglin invaders fell, He found Himself wanting more. He craved more. Humans started to fill the streets. Every muscle in His body screamed for Him to continue.

Curiously, the voices were what eventually held Him back.  _ Put the sword down,  _ they chided Him.  _ Walk past them. _ He obeyed. He followed their instructions, walking down the streets without so much as looking at the people around Him. The voices led Him across the city.  _ Take a turn here. Climb these stairs. Keep walking forwards. Now stop.  _

“Techno?” A pair of arms wrapped around His chest. The Blood God blinked. He should kill whoever it was that had dared touch Him, yet something held Him back. He reached a hoof back behind Him. It brushed against feathers. All at once the voices vanished. 

Technoblade took a deep breath of air. “Phil?”

Phil let him go. Techno turned to face him, realizing with a start that they were standing in the castle’s entry hall. Phil looked tired. He was wearing his royal armor, but it seemed to weigh on his shoulders. Techno’s face dropped. Phil’s wings were tied with rope to his back. Phil seemed to notice the piglin’s horror. 

“They’re still a bit numb.” Phil explained quietly. He ran a hand across the damaged feathers. “I figured this was easier than dragging them along behind me.”

Techno rubbed at his hooves awkwardly. He frowned and took a closer look at them. His arms were drenched in blood. Both him and Phil glanced over the grime and gore covering him. Techno sighed. “I might need a shower.”

“Might need a bit more than that, mate.” Phil commented, gesturing at Techno’s numerous injuries. “Looks like you’ve been through hell.”

“Something like that.” Techno said. Phil put a hand on his shoulder and guided him further into the castle. Techno let himself get led around, still foggy from earlier. The voices were white noise in the back of his mind. Whatever had happened after the piglins in the square, it seemed to have pleased them. 

\---

“So you don’t remember anything after that?” Phil asked. 

“Ended up here afterwards. I knew I was taking a few patrols down but I didn’t think I had got  _ that  _ many.” Techno said. He winced as a cleric tugged a crossbow bolt out from his side. 

“It sends a good message.” Phil replied. He leaned back in his chair next to the bed. “If we can keep the scouting parties down, we should stay in a good position. The Empire’s too spread out to have any other major targets outside of the capital, unless the Legion wants to raid a bunch of ice fishers.”

“That paints a big target on the castle.”

Phil nodded grimly. “We should prepare for the worst. Wilbur already sent out the order to evacuate the city, but that means all its inhabitants are currently in the castle. We can’t let it fall or…”

“...they all die.” Techno finished. The two sat looking quietly at the room. Techno could faintly hear the ocean from outside the window. He braced himself as the cleric pulled out another arrow. 

“Techno, the army needs a leader.” Phil spoke up. “And given my current injuries, it can’t be me.”

Techno felt a wave of dread rush over him. He could still feel the pressure of all those people looking up at him, waiting for him to say the right thing and save them. 

Phil seemed to notice his hesitation. “Do you think you could handle the position?”

“No.” Techno answered bluntly. “I can fight, but I’m not meant to be King, Phil.”

Phil stared up at the ceiling for a moment. Finally he looked back to Techno. “How about if it were both of us?”

Techno gave him a curious look and Phil continued. “I might not be able to lead a battalion into battle alone, but the two of us? I think we could be a force to be reckoned with. You handle the fighting and I’ll handle the leading.”

Techno barely had to give the idea a second thought. “Phil?”

“Yeah?” Phil answered, hesitant. 

“I think that’s the best idea I’ve heard all day.”

\---

It felt strange to be by himself. Tommy kept finding himself looking over to his side for Wilbur before catching himself. His absence was unsettling. Tommy quickened his pace down the city streets to distance himself from the castle. After Phil had left to go find Wilbur, Tommy had snuck out. He still wasn’t entirely sure why; Tommy just knew he had to get away from his family. His blue uniform was carefully disguised by a jacket he had found along the way. Attracting more attention to himself was the last thing Tommy wanted right now. 

“Hey, kid!” An older man called from the doorway of a house. Tommy pulled his jacket up farther around his face and tried to walk faster. The man was busy carrying out a crateful of items. “The castle’s the other way.”

“I know.” Tommy called back. The man gave him a confused look and Tommy took advantage of his hesitation to duck into a side street. The narrow walls nearby helped shield him from the snow. He lowered his handkerchief slightly to catch his breath. It was quiet in the city. Everyone was either already in the castle or doing their best to get there. Tommy leaned up against a door and closed his eyes, listening to the ocean nearby. He almost fell backwards as the door creaked open. Tommy stumbled backwards, his eyes wide. The door was unlocked and now slightly ajar. It was dark inside the house. Tommy could faintly hear something moving inside. He grasped the hilt of his knife.

“Anyone there?” Tommy asked, leaning inside the door frame. There was no response. Tommy stepped into the house. He stuck to the edges of the wall, creeping across the kitchen. His shoe landed in something wet and he looked down. A squashed tomato stuck to his shoe. He shook it off his foot. It landed with a squish nearby. Tommy wrinkled up his nose. “Ew.”

Something creaked in the hallway. Tommy’s head snapped up. He pressed himself against the wall and waited. Whatever was in the house with him was moving towards the kitchen. Tommy tensed. He crept towards the hallway, sticking to the wall. A shape stepped into the kitchen and he lunged forwards with the knife. The dog now pinned under him gave out a startled yelp. It wiggled out of his grasp. Tommy fell back on the floor as it slammed into him, sprinting past him and out the open door. Tommy wheezed. He stayed down on the floor, letting his heartbeat slow. 

“Dumb dog.” Tommy said to himself. Something approached in the street behind him. Tommy listened as the footsteps stopped in the open doorway. He sighed and went to stand up. “Back already?”

A heavy grunt answered him. Tommy paled. He grabbed his knife and leaped up. The armored piglin now in the kitchen grabbed his arm and tore the weapon out of his grasp. Tommy hissed in pain and kicked the creature in its shins. It narrowed its eyes and drew back a fist. Tommy gulped and braced himself. The hit never came. Instead the piglin kept a grip on his wrist and yanked him forwards. 

“Let go!” Tommy demanded. The piglin didn’t listen. As he was dragged out into the snow, something inside Tommy snapped. There was no way he was letting himself get shoved around for the  _ third  _ fucking time today. He stopped in his tracks, digging his heels into the cobble. The piglin hesitated and turned to face him. Tommy bared his teeth, glanced down at the piglin’s exposed wrist, and bit down as hard as he could. Adrenaline pumped through him and he tore away, taking a solid chunk of flesh with him. The piglin squealed and let go. Tommy took off down the street. His legs were wobbly underneath him as he sprinted further down the alley. He didn’t bother paying attention to where he was going, just focusing on getting as far away as possible. He flung himself behind an abandoned cart and crouched. Blood dripped down his chin and he pawed at it with his handkerchief. With his knife gone, Tommy searched the nearby area for a sword, a stick,  _ anything _ .

Tommy’s eyes landed on a bottle. He lunged for it just as the piglin rounded the corner. It snarled and kicked the bottle away from Tommy’s reach. He skittered backwards, his back colliding with the wheel of the wagon. The piglin grabbed the front of his shirt and dragged him to his feet. Its wrist was covered in a torn piece of cloth but still bleeding, Tommy noted with some satisfaction.

“Hey, you ugly fuck!” Tommy yelled. He kicked at the piglin but his legs were too short to reach. “C’mon, fight me like a man.”

The piglin narrowed its eyes. It drew back a fist, and this time it didn’t hesitate. Tommy heard a crack as its hoof collided with his cheek and everything went black. 


	9. Cage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the kind comments so far!!

The second the cleric finished dressing Technoblade’s wounds, the piglin practically sprinted to his room. Philza couldn’t blame him. The entirety of the city was in the lower levels of the castle at this point, and even he was starting to feel drained from all the people. His injuries probably weren’t helping either. He had never noticed how exhausting it was carrying his wings around all day until they were dead weight on his back. The straps he had fashioned to keep them pinned to his back had helped, but just barely. Phil was more than ready to get back to flying. 

In all the chaos of the evacuation and Techno’s dramatic return, Phil had lost track of Tommy. He had last seen the boy in the medbay just before Phil went to go find Wilbur, but when he returned Tommy had vanished. It wasn’t out of character for him to disappear, but it didn’t stop Phil from worrying. All three of his sons seemed to be distant. Techno was dealing with those voices again, Tommy was gone to gods knew where, and Wilbur had refused to unlock his door and talk like a normal person. Phil took a deep breath. Something was clearly wrong with Wilbur, but he couldn’t tell what. With the war beginning outside the walls, Phil couldn’t waste time coaxing answers out of his son. The lives of his people came first. 

“The piglins are focusing their forces on the outer edge of the city.” One of Phil’s advisors said, keeping pace with him through the crowd. The people parted before Phil, averting their eyes from his. It was odd how they still treated him as untouchable despite his obvious injuries. Part of Phil wondered if they were just trying to ignore his mortality. He couldn’t really blame them; he knew he wouldn’t want to accept his leader was barely able to walk while the country was on the brink of war either.

" Keep the pressure on them. The more portals we take out, the less they have to use later.” Phil instructed. “They have a limited amount of obsidian in the Nether. As long as we can keep them from getting more, we can outlast it.”

The advisor nodded and broke off into the crowd. Phil hobbled to the stairs. As soon as he was safely out of sight, he collapsed onto them. The cut on his shoulder was killing him. He sighed bitterly. There was no way he could swing a sword like this. He forced himself to get up. If nothing else, he could at least suffer in the dignity of his own room instead of a dim stairwell. 

Phil limped his way down the hall. He couldn’t help but pause at Wilbur’s door. It was still shut, but light shone from under the door. Phil hesitantly knocked. “Wil? You ready to talk?”

There was no answer. Phil stepped away from the door. Just as he was ready to walk away, it opened. Wilbur stood on the other side. Phil looked him over, feeling taken aback. Wilbur looked shockingly uncomposed. His clothes were a complete mess and he trembled as he stood. The dark circles under his eyes remained, but the glasses he was wearing hid the worst of it. 

“Hey Dad.” Wilbur said quietly.

“Your beanie.” Phil said, unable to find anything else to say. Wilbur gave him a confused look and Phil motioned to his head. “You’re not wearing it.”

Wilbur ran a hand through his messy hair. “Nah.”

“Oh.” Phil replied. He leaned against the wall. “So what was up with you and Tommy earlier?”

Wilbur’s entire demeanor seemed to shift. A tight smile crossed his face and he laughed awkwardly. “Ah, that. I’ve been under a lot of stress lately and I guess it all boiled over.”

“Uh huh.” Phil crossed his arms. 

“I didn’t mean to take it all out on Tommy. Is he doing okay?” Wilbur asked. “I think I scared him a little more than I meant to.”

“You nearly knocked him out, Wilbur. I think that’s a little more than scaring him.” Phil said. 

“Whatever.” Wilbur’s eyes darkened.. “In any case, I’m feeling much better now after a good cry. Got it all out of my system.”

“I’m not sure I believe that.” Phil said. Even in their current useless state, he could feel his feathers standing on end. Mentally he checked that his sword was still on his hip. 

“Then that’s a bit of a problem, isn’t it?”

“Seems like it.” Phil replied. 

Wilbur’s tired expression dropped, replaced by something more sinister. The hallway seemed to darken around them. Looking at his son felt like looking at another person entirely. “What do you plan on doing about it?”

“I plan on winning this war first,” Phil said, narrowing his eyes. “And then I deal with whatever fuckery you have going on up there. Whatever you have planned, Wilbur, save it for after we drive back the piglins.”

The person Phil began to suspect wasn't entirely Wilbur grinned. Phil could almost swear his teeth looked sharper. “You’ve got yourself a deal, old man.”

\---

Tommy woke up with a gasp. He scrambled across the hot stones beneath him, trying to catch his footing. He managed to push himself up against the bars surrounding him and caught his breath. Iron bars formed a cage around him, and looking to either side revealed he wasn’t the only one trapped here. A whole group of people--at least ten strong--were crowded in with him. They all wore the clothes of commoners, the same Tommy had disguised himself with. He felt something drip down his face and he wiped at it. His hand came back bloody. 

" Do you need some help?” A soft voice asked. Tommy turned to face a peasant woman. She held out a piece of cloth with a kind smile. Tommy shook his head and buried his nose in his handkerchief. The red of the fabric helped hide the nosebleed. 

“I’m fine.” He mumbled. The woman leaned back away from him, folding the cloth and slipping it back in her apron. Tommy looked at his surroundings. “Where are we?”

“A bastion.” The woman replied. “It’s a type of military fortress that piglins build--”

“I know what a bastion is.” Tommy interrupted. He leaned over in the cage, staring through the bars. His stomach dropped. The cage was suspended from the ceiling of a massive chamber formed from a black brick. Landings were carved in the walls of the bastion, with piglin patrolling throughout. Far below was a pool of lava. Strange red and black blobs oozed across its surface, setting fire to everything they brushed up against. 

“--just a child.” Tommy overheard someone say. 

“I’m not a child.” He snapped back, not bothering to turn around.

“Then how old are you?” An older man’s voice asked. Tommy flushed. 

“...eighteen.” He lied. There was some murmuring behind him. Tommy hunched his back and focused on the bastion outside. The rooms of the fortress were exposed, he began to realize. From the cage he was currently in, he could see the entirety of the piglins’ rooms. 

“I know this must be scary for you.” The woman said gently. She scooted up next to him at the cage’s edge. Tommy tried to ignore the way she gave him a pitying look. “It’s a lot to take in, I’m sure.”

“How many people are in here?” Tommy asked. He turned around to study the group. They all had the builds of working folk. 

“I’m...not sure?” The woman answered. Tommy did a quick count. There were 12 people in the cage, including himself. Despite their superficial wounds, none looked like they had serious injuries. Tommy looked back at the bastion. 

“Does anyone here know how to fight?” He asked the group. No one responded, all of them focused on talking amongst themselves. Tommy scowled. He raised his voice. “Can anyone here fight? Hold a weapon? Literally  _ anything _ ?”

The group turned to stare at him. Tommy crossed his arms. “Well?”

He got a few nods back. A slow smile crossed Tommy’s face. He reached a hand under his jacket, grasping a certain bottle hidden beneath. “Perfect. Then we might just have a way outta here.”


	10. Battlefront

The sun was beginning to fall on the streets outside the castle. The snow had stopped, leaving the night sky pristine and uncovered above the Empire soldiers. It was bitterly cold. Technoblade suppressed a shiver, pulling his cloak further over his armor. His horse shifted beneath him. He loosened his grip on the reins. 

“They’re gathering on the forest’s edge.” Philza said. The older man was sat on a horse next to him. He was wearing his armor despite Techno’s protests about its weight. 

“What do you think their plan is?” Techno asked. Several of the soldiers around him began to light their lanterns as night fell. 

“They’re cutting off our only escape.” Phil said quietly. The roar of the ocean surrounding them seemed louder all of a sudden. Off in the distance, the purple glow bordering the city began to mix with the orange of lantern light. 

" Seems they’re setting up for the night.” Techno noted. Phil nodded.

“We need to consider the possibility of a siege. The piglins might not have any way to stop our ships, but the storms are too unpredictable for us to depend on that.” Phil said. He reached down to his hip to pull out a telescope. Techno waited as he peered through it at the forest’s edge. Finally, Phil lowered the spyglass. “They’re advancing. We need to get moving.”

Techno snapped the reins of his horse. It startled forwards, pushing through the crowd of infantrymen. Phil followed close behind, shouting commands to the people around them. The streets of the city filled with murmuring.

“The main army’s all yours.” Phil said, gesturing to the soldiers around them. He stopped his horse, turning it back towards the castle. “I’ll hang back with the rest. Be safe.”

Techno nodded in reply. He spurred his horse into a trot. The potions hidden under his cloak rattled against his armor. The city was dark around him. For the first time since Techno had stepped foot in the Empire, the streets were deserted. There were no lights in any of the houses, leaving only the torches of the army to light the way. It was eerily quiet. Techno kept focused for any noise. The only thing he heard were the footsteps behind him and the quiet huffs of his horse. 

“Sir?” A woman Techno recognized as one of Phil’s advisors spoke up. “I believe it would be smart to take a group around the church to prevent an ambush from that direction.”

Techno nodded absent-mindedly. “Do what you feel is best. You and the other generals have my permission to issue orders.” 

“Yessir.” She turned her horse back towards the foot soldiers, waving for a section of them to follow her. Several others on horseback copied her, taking their own groups with them. Soon it was just Techno left. He didn’t mind; it was easier to fight without others getting in his way.

\---

Philza refused to let his body slow him down. He paced his horse through the rows of defenders, shouting orders despite the pain in his chest. The men around him were nervous. The Empire had fought many battles in the past 15 years, but they were never on its own soil. Many of the people currently surrounding him had probably never even seen a Legion piglin, Phil realized. The only piglin they knew was Techno, and that probably didn’t calm their nerves in the slightest. 

“The civilians are all safe inside.” Wilbur said. Phil nearly jumped out of his skin. The area just inside the castle’s outer walls was completely lit up, yet Wilbur had managed to sneak right up behind him. It was unnerving how easily the boy had learned to move quietly. 

“Good.” Phil collected himself, calming his horse. "Did you manage to calm them down?”

“Of course.” Wilbur replied. His face was dark and unreadable. Phil frowned. Mentally he added  _ ‘body snatcher’ _ to his list of possible problems with Wilbur. 

“Have you seen Tommy recently?” Phil changed the subject. Wilbur shook his head no. “Damn. That child really doesn’t want to be found.”

“It would seem like it.” Wilbur replied. 

“You didn’t have anything to do with that, right?” Phil asked. He turned to Wilbur and rested a hand on his sword. Wilbur’s dull eyes followed the movement. 

“Not more than what happened earlier.” Wilbur said. His face remained completely neutral behind his wide glasses. 

“Let’s hope that’s the truth.” Phil said. He looked coldly down at Wilbur. “Or our talk after this will be  _ much  _ different.” 

Wilbur visibly swallowed, the first sign of fear Phil had seen out of him all evening. Phil found himself smiling. Whatever was fucking with Wilbur, at least it had the decency to be afraid in the face of divinity. 

\---

The smoke was the first sign something was wrong. Techno couldn’t make out the source in the dark, but he could smell it. He snuffed out the lantern at his side and slowed his horse to a halt. The moon was full above him, providing just enough light to see.

_ Fire. Be careful.  _ The voices whispered in his ear. Techno grabbed a  _ Fire Resistance _ potion from his stash and tied it to his belt for easier access. The voices seemed pleased.  _ Good. Find Dad next. _

"I'm not going back and getting him, guys. We're dealing with this on our own." Techno muttered. He guided his horse further down the street. Just past the buildings surrounding him, he could make out the flicker of flames. His horse snorted and backed up. Techno tightened the reins. It pressed its ears back and pawed at the ground. 

" _ Make sure the houses keep burning. Don't let the wind put them out. _ " Techno's head snapped up at the sound of piglins. He slid off his horse, keeping the reins clenched in his hoof. Footsteps approached from a side street and Techno dropped the reins, ducking into a nearby doorframe. A group of piglins stepped out onto the main street. Each held a crossbow in hand and one kept a lantern out in front of them. They stopped at the mouth of the alley, staring at the horse. Techno kept his breathing steady. He was close enough to reach out and touch them from his hiding spot. 

" _ What the hell is that? _ " One asked another. 

" _ A horse. Its rider has to be nearby. _ " Techno pressed himself further into the darkness at that reply. He knew from his own experience how poor piglins could see in the dark. Quietly he readied his sword. 

" _ The Empire must be approaching. Go back and tell the others. _ " The apparent leader, dressed in a set of black armor, instructed. A shorter piglin nodded and turned back into the alley. The rest stayed in the street, watching the leader step up to the horse. The horse reared away from their touch. Its hooves nearly connected with their jaw, forcing the piglin away. They growled and grabbed their axe. " _ Stupid beast. _ "

Techno moved forward. His sword went straight through the piglin's back within an instant. He pulled it upwards, nearly splitting the body in half. The group behind him burst into chaos. Techno turned to face them. 

_ Kill them. Spill every ounce of blood onto the stones,  _ the voices said. Techno grinned and spread his arms out before the piglins. 

"What, scared of just one man?" He mocked, watching their terrified expressions. Even with the language barrier, it seemed his point got across. The piglins hesitated for a second, then turned and ran. Techno watched them disappear down the alley. His horse whinnied behind him, pushing its head into his back. Techno lifted himself onto its back and took off. 

The first few embers were easy to miss. Techno brushed them off his cloak without a second thought. The freezing air began to warm. Orange light bled into the moonlight surrounding Techno and he slowed. The houses around him were on fire. 

_ It will all burn down, _ came the whispers.  _ You cannot stop it _ . Techno didn't doubt them. The flames were too big to control at this point. The harsh smell of smoke hit him and he buried his snout into his cloak. Ash fell all around him, stinging his eyes. It stuck to the blood coating his hooves, and when he wiped at his face, the blood smeared across his forehead. The voices cheered him on, begging for more.  _ Blood for the Blood God. Blood for the Blood God.  _

Techno hissed at the sudden noise. His head ached and he bared his teeth. His horse collapsed beneath him. Techno fell hard to the ground. Next to him his horse stumbled back to its feet. Something warm spilled onto Techno and he raised his arm to shield himself. The horse flung its head to the side and Techno noticed the cluster of arrows sticking out of its throat. More of its blood splattered onto him as it struggled to run. He looked around, grabbing his sword. Piglins stepped out of the houses all around him. Orange potion particles sparked out of their skin as the fire slid harmlessly off of them.

" _ That's him! _ " A piglin shouted. Techno stood and drew his sword. The piglins copied the action with their own weapons. A quick glance showed Techno was completely surrounded. He reached for his potions but the sound of crossbows loading stopped him. Techno grimaced. This one was gonna hurt. 

\---

Philza's plans were going perfectly up until the first hoglin. One moment he was helping a young soldier with her shield and the next he was sprinting towards the screams. He ran up the stairs of the outer wall, pushing through the pain on sheer adrenaline alone. The defending soldiers all lined the top of the wall, their attention directed on the scene below. A massive hoglin was charging the wall. It slammed its body against the stone brick over and over, sending dust and rocks flying in every direction. 

"All archers focus fire!" Phil shouted over the chaos. The people around him listened. The hoglin squealed as dozens of arrows buried into its hide, but it stayed upright. The creature backed up from the wall and prepared for a second charge. Phil grabbed the trident strapped to his back and flung it downwards. The weapon buried itself in the stones below, completely missing the hoglin. Phil waited with his hand still outstretched. The hoglin charged at the wall, running over the trident. Phil jerked his hand upwards. The hoglin screeched as the trident returned to him. It tore straight through the hoglin's chest and landed in Phil's hand with a sickening squelch. The demigod shook the bits of skin and gore off of it. Far on the street below, the hoglin collapsed. Phil carefully waited for the body to stop twitching. 

"Everyone get ready for an attack. This won't be the last hoglin tonight." Phil announced once the corpse was still. He pulled out his telescope and focused on the distance. Either the hoglin had snuck passed the scouting troops, or they were incapacitated. Both options were very, very bad. Even from his vantage point above the city, he couldn't spot the lanterns. The fire at the edge of the town swallowed all the light as it approached. 

Out of the darkness of the city, a second hoglin approached. It bared its tusks and squealed up at the castle defenders. Several more stepped out behind it, forming a menacing wall between the castle and the piglin army. Phil gripped his trident tighter. It was going to be a long night ahead of him. 

\---

Techno slammed through the burning wall in front of him. The flames cloaked him from the pursuing piglins and he used the moment to catch his breath. His  _ Fire Resistance _ would last him long enough to escape the house he was currently trapped in, but after that he would be at the mercy of the Legion. Two groups, one on either side of the house, were out there waiting for him. Techno took inventory of his potions. He only had one bottle of  _ Strength _ left, not nearly enough to kill the rest of the army with. Techno was going to have to get creative.

Before he could start planning however, Techno needed to get his injuries under control. He had managed to get past the piglins, but he hasn't been fast enough to avoid an axe to the side. His armor had blocked the worst of it, but blood still trickled out from beneath it. Techno hurriedly unstrapped his chestplate and pressed a hoof to the wound. He shrugged off his cloak and wound the long fabric around his abdomen, covering the axe wound. 

"Seven minutes. Track it." He mumbled to himself. The voices picked up, slowly counting down the seconds of  _ Fire Resistance  _ he had left. Techno crouched in the coals covering the floor. Slowly, an idea dawned on him. He dipped his hoof into the ash surrounding him and wiped a line across his blue armor. It left a black streak behind.

\---

" _ Keep your eyes on the fire! _ " The piglin brute outside the house barked. His inferiors nodded in response, keeping their crossbows trained on the house where the Blood God lay. The brute adjusted his black netherite armor, wiping the embers off of it. 

" _ Someone's approaching. _ " One soldier announced. The brute raised his golden axe to his shoulder, squinting into the flames. Sure enough, a figure was moving towards them. " _ Permission to fire? _ "

" _ Wait. _ " The brute replied. He studied the silhouette. Although it was certainly a piglin, it lacked the tell-tale blue robe of Technoblade. " _ Lower your crossbows. It isn't him. _ "

The approaching piglin stepped out of the burning house and onto the street. He was dressed in the Legion's netherite armor and kept a black sword at his hip. The brute grimaced at the implication. " _ Did he slip past us? _ "

The piglin soldier nodded solemnly. The brute growled and whirled back around to his men. " _ The other group is already searching the house and what are we doing? Sitting on our asses. Get in there and look for a trail! _ "

The Legion soldiers nodded, pressing past the flames and into the house. The brute walked around to the other side of the alley. The group stationed there lifted their heads in greeting. The brute frowned at the sight.

" _ Did you only send one person through the house? Why are there so many of you left here? _ " He asked.

" _ What? _ " The other group's commander looked at him in confusion. 

" _ The piglins you sent into the house to search for Technoblade? We just met up with one on our side. _ " 

" _ We didn't send anyone through _ ." 

The brute's face fell. He whirled around to the house, shouting at his men inside. " _ Get out! He already got past us, you idiots! _ "

\---

Techno hurried down the street. His ash-covered armor blended in with the netherite of the brutes' in the low light. The piglins around him paid him no mind. The voices kept counting down in the background.  _ Two minutes and thirty seconds of Fire Resistance. Two minute and twenty nine seconds. _

\---

Philza recalled his trident once again. His forearm was stained a deep red at this point from the weapon. He didn't bother to shake off the blood, throwing it back down at the troops below. 

"Heads down!" Someone shouted. Phil ducked behind the wall as a volley of arrows flew around him. The hoglins below had been joined by troops of piglins. Phil tried not to focus on the blood that had covered the new arrivals' weapons.

The wall shook as a hoglin slammed into it. Phil grit his teeth and recalled his trident. Something squealed from below as the weapon tore through it. Phil caught it in his hand. The soldiers next to him peered out from behind the wall defenses to return fire. Phil copied their movements with his own bow. He focused fire on the opposing archers. 

"The fire's spreading." Phil muttered to himself. He looked out on the blaze now spreading across the city. It had been a smart choice to evacuate earlier, seeing as a solid fourth of the buildings were up in smoke. The outer walls surrounding the castle would prevent the fire, but it looked like it would burn itself before then. 

As Philza took aim at another piglin, the sky exploded around him. He fell hard as a wave of pure heat hit the wall. Screams erupted around him. 

"Oh gods, it's all gone!" Someone yelled, hysterical. Phil pushed himself up. He dragged himself over to the wall and peered over. His jaw dropped. The entire city was on fire. The flames towered above the castle's height. Phil's hands stung and he looked down. His skin was burned a bright red. He hissed in pain, trying to process the scene before him. All of the houses were gone. Everything was completely wiped out, replaced by a solid wall of pure fire. He couldn't even see the streets below through the flames and smoke. 

"The piglins, they're not fireproof, right?" An archer next to Phil babbled. Their eyes were wild as they looked at him. "We've won. They couldn't have survived that--"

They were cut off mid sentence as an arrow buried itself in their throat. They gurgled for air before teetering forward, falling off the wall into the fire below. Phil felt sick. 

"They have  _ Fire Resistance _ . Stay down and out of sight!" He yelled over the roar of the fire. He felt like he couldn't catch his breath. Phil curled against the wall and tried to calm down. The realization hit him all at once and he bit back a sob. He had sent his own men in there. He had sent  _ Techno _ in there. 

\---

Techno still didn't entirely know what had happened. He barely had time to react when he felt the sudden heat around him. Fire flooded the streets in an instant and he was swept up in it. He struggled to breathe through the smoke. All he could see around him was yellow and orange. The voices kept their careful count.  _ Two minutes and ten seconds. _

Techno blindly stumbled through the streets. He had no idea where he was, only that he  _ needed _ to get out. No matter where he seemed to turn, there was only more fire and more smoke. Even through the potion, Techno's skin stung from the heat. He forced himself into a sprint.  _ One minute and fifty seconds. _

Techno couldn't tell if he was even close to escaping. The fire raged around him in every direction. Dully he realized the entire city must have gone up in flames. All the soldiers he was supposed to keep safe, all of them were gone. The thought hurt more than he expected it to.  _ One minute. Fifty nine seconds. _

More than half of the Empire's forces, wiped out in a single blow. They were screwed. If the castle even still stood, it wouldn't for long. Everything he had ever known and it was gone. Phil was gone, Wilbur was gone, even fucking Tommy was gone. Techno screamed into the flames. It swallowed up the noise in the roar of the fire. Part of Techno wanted to just lay down here and burn. The maze of smoke and heat he was trapped in was endless. Nothing lay on the other side but the charred remains of his nation and family.  _ Thirty seconds. _

The other part of Techno refused to die here. He was furious. Everything he had was gone and someone had to pay. He clenched his jaw and pressed onwards. He could die after he killed each and every creature that had stood against him and not a moment before.  _ Twenty seconds. _

Techno closed his eyes shut. He forced himself to keep running. His lungs choked with ash.  _ Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. _

Techno's hoof sank into mud. He threw himself away from the fire and into the forest. The snow at the forest's edge had all melted away from the heat, but he was safe. He pushed himself just inside the treeline and collapsed. He lay there in the mud and dead grass, staring up at the moon. Just on cue, the voices hit zero. The orange particles sparked away and the full heat of the nearby fire hit him. Techno didn't flinch. He stayed right where he was, breathing slow. Flecks of ash floated down from the tree line like snow. He rolled to his side and felt something slip from his belt. 

There, laying face down in the dirt, was the ravager statue. The  _ Fire Resistance _ had protected it from the flames. Techno scooped it up and cradled it in his hooves. He gently wiped the mud and soot off of its wooden skin. The creature seemed to stare back at him. He reattached it to his hip and stood. He didn't bother to look back behind him. The fire obscured the castle--or whatever was left of it by this point. What mattered was that he was on the other side of the piglin siege now. Nothing lay before him but miles of untouched wilderness. Techno began walking south. He had a long journey ahead of him, but it would be worth it when he got his revenge. He would make sure of that. 


	11. Dawn

Blaze powder. Philza felt like an idiot for not considering it earlier. The piglins had 15 years to farm the material, of course they would have used it. Phil wanted to go back to his younger self and shake him,  _ scream _ at him about it. The second he saw fire on the edges of the city he should have ordered his men back. 

"The piglins sent a message." Wilbur said from across from Phil at the table. Phil had barely registered his son's arrival. Wilbur pushed an envelope over to him. Phil didn't bother picking it up. 

"Good for them." Phil responded flatly.

"They might be seeking a truce of some kind." Wilbur offered. He got no response. His face cracked and he reached out a hand to Phil. "Dad, please."

Phil picked up the envelope and opened it. He skimmed the letter inside. Sure enough, it detailed the conditions for the Empire's complete surrender. Phil grabbed a pen. Wilbur grabbed his arm. 

"What are you doing?" Wilbur asked. 

"I'm completely surrendering. We're fucked." Phil replied bluntly. He went to sign his name but Wilbur stopped him.

"What the fuck do you mean you're completely surrendering?"

"The piglins have us surrounded. They're camped outside our walls right now and the only reason they haven't broken in is because of this letter." Phil snapped. "Our army is decimated, morale is in the gutter, and I just lost a son. I'm not losing another one to this stupid war."

Wilbur's grip tightened on his forearm. "There has to be another way."

"There is no other way. Unless you have some secret trump card up your sleeve, I'm surrendering."

"Actually," Wilbur said, realization dawning on him. "I do have one."

The brunette reached over and dimmed the lantern between them. The small study they were in darkened. The room's shadows became sharp and distinct against the walls. Wilbur adjusted his glasses and took a deep breath. "Alright. Come out."

Phil watched in horror as Wilbur's shadow slipped off the wall. It oozed like liquid across the floor and onto the table in one solid dark mass. Phil pushed his chair away. "Wil, what is this?"

Wilbur grinned and stuck his arm into the shadow. It swirled around him, condensing at his head. Two goat horns, each made from pure shadow, sprouted from above his ears. The darkness of the room hid the color from Wilbur's jacket. It almost looked like he was wearing some sort of suit. He stretched his arms wide. "I've got a solution right here."

There were a lot of moments in Phil's life that the parenting books didn't prepare him for. This moment was certainly one of them. He stared at Wilbur in complete disbelief. "I'm going to need an explanation _ right now _ ."

"Look, I was scared too at first." Wilbur said, relaxing in his chair. "But it's not dangerous. This is just my shadow and it wants to help."

"It's your  _ what _ ?" Phil said.

"My shadow. I'm still not entirely sure what happened, but it doesn't really matter." Wilbur said dismissively. "What does matter is that it offered me a deal."

The pieces clicked into place in Philza's head. "Please don't tell me you accepted that."

"No, not yet. Listen, we can use it to save the Empire and--"

"Wilbur, you're dealing with a  _ demon _ ." Phil said. He carefully reached for the sword at his hip. "I have no clue how the fuck one attached to you, but if you make a deal with that thing it'll take something from you. Something important."

Wilbur went silent for a moment. He looked down at the swirling shadows on his arms. Quietly, he spoke. "If we could save the Empire, wouldn't it be worth it? Think about it, I could finally be the hero."

Phil grabbed Wilbur's hands and pulled them away from the shadows. He met his son's hesitant eyes. "Sacrificing your soul to a demon doesn't make you a hero."

Wilbur tried to pull away but Phil stopped him. He continued. "And even if it did, that isn't your sacrifice to make. You're a smart, incredibly creative young man and I won't let you throw that away."

Wilbur's horns flickered. The shadows struggled to stay on his skin as he spoke. "Then we just surrender?" 

"Yes." Phil said. "Part of being a leader is knowing when to stop. If this war continues, everyone in this castle dies. If we surrender, only one does."

Wilbur's hand tore away from Phil's. He yanked the letter from across the table and stared at it. Phil leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. 

"You can't do this." Wilbur said. He held the letter up to Phil's face and pointed at the last lines. "Dad, they want to kill you!"

"I know, I can read." Phil responded. "Read the rest of it. It's a good deal. The Empire stays independent, even if the army is disbanded."

"You were lecturing me about not selling my soul while at the same time planning your own execution?" Wilbur asked incredulously. He slammed the letter down on the table. The shadows returned in full force. "That doesn't make any sense."

"Wil--"

"No. There has to be another way." Wilbur said. Phil opened his mouth to speak but Wilbur cut him off. "Don't sign the treaty. Give me…" He paused. "One day. One day and I'll come up with a way out of this."

"One that doesn't involve any dealings with demons?" 

Wilbur nodded. Phil looked satisfied. "Fine. I'll ask for one more day, but after that I have to sign that letter." 

Wilbur's eyes glimmered. "Deal."

\---

_ We both know I could end this in an instant. Just give me the word and all those piglins could disappear.  _

Wilbur shook his head at the voice. "I already told you, I'm not agreeing to that. There's another way, I just have to think of it."

_ There isn't another way, buddy,  _ his shadow argued. It slipped further up his arm, pooling around his neck like a noose.  _ Besides, the old man wasn't even right. We both know I ain't some demon. _

"What are you then?" Wilbur snapped, pacing around his room.

_ The better version of you,  _ the shadow replied.  _ All that energy from the storm just woke me up, that's all. _

Wilbur paused, thinking. "If I were to make a deal with you, what could you offer?"

_ A chance to end this. One single event of your choice, that's what I can offer. Wipe out the piglins, convince your father to surrender the throne to you, or whatever else you could want.  _

Wilbur stopped in front of his mirror. "And what would it cost me?"

The shadow slipped over the mirror, swirling to form an image on its surface. Wilbur stared back at his own face. He looked stronger in the image. Two horns, not made of shadow but those of an actual goat's, spiraled out of the reflection's hair. It wore a sharp suit and a cruel smile. 

_ I get possession of your body.  _ The image dissolved and the shadow fell back to the floor. 

"So the current me would die?"

_ That's one way to describe it. _

Wilbur shivered. He stepped away from the mirror and resumed his pacing. "I'll think about it." 

_ Good. _

Wilbur sighed and flopped down onto his bed. He stared up at the ceiling. His thoughts swirled within his mind. One day. That's all he had to work with. Time to make it count.


	12. Escape

A scream tore through the bastion. Tommy clutched his side, sobbing. The group locked in the cage with him yelled amongst themselves in a panic. The nice woman--who Tommy now knew as Niki--kneeled down beside him. 

"Please, we need help!" Niki cried at the piglin nearby. Tommy didn't see their reactions, too busy dry heaving on the cage floor. He screamed again. Niki leaned down close to his ear. "Do you really think this will work?"

"If they captured us, then they probably want us alive," Tommy whispered back. "This is our best bet."

Niki nodded grimly. "You are certainly loud enough to catch their attention."

Tommy made a face, trying to tell if the remark was a compliment or an insult. Something rattled above the cage and he went back to screaming. The chain holding the cage began to lower. Once it was level with a bastion platform, it grinded to a halt. From the corner of his eye, Tommy watched a piglin toss over a rope bridge. It and two others walked up to the cage door.

"We need help. He's just a child!" Niki wailed as the piglins stepped into the cage. Tommy bit back the urge to protest. The rest of the cage's inhabitants pushed out of their way. Tommy's heart felt like it was pounding out of its chest. He curled further into himself, trying his best to look utterly pathetic. One of the piglins squatted down and poked his side. Tommy screamed as loudly as he could and the creature nearly fell backwards. It grunted to the other two piglins and suddenly Tommy was being hoisted off his feet. Niki gave him one last determined look as he was carried out of the cage and further into the bastion. 

The medical bay of the bastion was as terrifying as the rest of it. Tommy curled up on his barren cot, staring at the room surrounding him. Odd dried plants and sharp metal tools hung on every part of the black walls. Tommy gulped as a piglin walked over to his cot. It held a lantern in one hand and a bottle in the other. Tommy curled into the fetal position, slipping his hand under his coat. 

"My organs," Tommy cried, looking up at the piglin. "They're acting all…wrong-ish."

The piglin ignored Tommy, setting the lantern onto the bed next to him. It turned its attention to swirling the pink substance within the flask. Once Tommy was sure it was distracted, he scanned the room. Although it was only him and the piglin in the room, they were still being watched. One wall of the room was gone, leading to one of the platforms that circled around the main area where the cage was held. Other piglins patrolled the area occasionally casting glances into the medbay. 

"Fuck." Tommy muttered to himself. The piglin gave him a questioning look and Tommy acted. He slammed his fist into the lantern, sending it tumbling to the floor. The piglin squealed in surprise as the glass shattered and hot coals spilled onto the blackstone. Tommy didn't give it time to react. He pulled out a pinch of the blaze powder, tossed it at the broken lantern, and flung himself away from the blast. The piglin screeched as it and half the room went up in flames. Tommy slid off the bed. He ran out of the medbay, dodging the shocked piglins on the bastion’s platform. Shouts rang out all around him as he sprinted to the nearest staircase. A piglin lunged at him and he ducked out of the way, sending it falling to the ground behind him. Tommy whirled around and snatched the shield off of its back. 

“They’re raising the alarm!” Niki yelled from the cage. Tommy hesitated on the stairs. Piglins stood on either end of the staircase pointing and squealing at him. He looked around. There was no way to get through the piglin guards slowly advancing on him. That left one exit: over the railing and straight into lava. Tommy looked up at the cage. Niki and the other hostages looked terrified. Tommy took a deep breath and pulled out the bottle of blaze powder. 

“Hey, you fuckers know what this is, right?” Tommy yelled, waving the bottle above his head. He grinned widely and threw out his arm, holding the powder over the lava. The piglins froze. They stared at him with wide eyes. Tommy laughed. "Not so tough now are you, bitch?"

The piglins muttered amongst themselves. One raised their crossbow and Tommy shook the bottle threateningly. "Nah, don't even try."

Slowly, Tommy inched down the stairs. He kept his arm straight out over the lava. The piglins moved out of his way. Tommy gave them a shit-eating grin as he passed. He stepped onto the lower platform, making his way over to the rope bridge. Niki and the others rushed over to the cage door. Tommy frowned and turned to the piglins watching them.

"Hey assholes, unlock the door or this whole building's gonna get it." Tommy threatened, waving the bottle. A piglin carefully walked past him to the cage door and unlocked it. It bared its tusks as the prisoners passed by it. Tommy waited as everyone stepped off the bridge and onto the bastion before following. 

"What's the plan now?" One of the group asked. The rest looked expectantly over at Tommy. 

"You guys said you knew how to use an axe, right?" Tommy asked. The group nodded. Tommy pointed at the rows of weapons and armor lining the nearby walls. "Then let's get the fuck out of here."

\---

As it turned out, not even the Legion wanted to mess with a group of fully armed villagers hopped up on every potion known to man. Tommy still kept the blaze powder out just in case, holding it in one hand and an open lantern in another. 

"I've never been on this many drugs before. My dad's gonna be so angry." Tommy said, admiring the rainbow of particles shimmering across his skin. 

Niki sighed from behind him, adjusting the potions in her bag. "They're not drugs, they're magical effects that--"

"If they're not drugs, then why do I feel all weird on them?" Tommy challenged. 

"That would be the adrenaline." Niki answered. She brushed past a piglin, her poorly-fitting netherite armor clanking against its gold chest plate. It glared at her and Tommy rattled his lantern threateningly.

"Hey, back off pal." Tommy said. The piglin raised its arms and stepped back to let the group walk by. Niki looked around the area they stood in. Her eyes widened and she pointed at an alcove.

"There." Niki said. Tommy followed her gaze. He walked forward, coming face to face with a portal. The others followed him. Niki raised a hand to its surface and let the purple sparks brush over her skin. "There could be a whole army of piglins on the other side."

"Still better than what's on here." Tommy replied. He stepped back, leaning against the railing keeping him from falling in the lava. "So, we all go through together?"

Niki nodded. She rested one hand on Tommy's shoulder and the other on another member of the group. They stepped through the portal. Tommy closed his eyes, letting the feeling wash over him. His body felt odd and heavy. A deep hum started from deep in his chest, drowning out his heartbeat. Cold air hit him and he snapped back to reality. 

“Oh no.” Niki was the first to speak. She raised a hand to her face, shaking. “No. Please no.”

Tommy couldn’t fully take in the scene before him. He stared blankly at the ruins of the city around him. Almost nothing remained. The only structure still standing within miles was the castle far off in the distance. He took a step forward off the portal and something crunched under his foot. He looked down. Under the soot and rubble lay a charred rib cage. 

The group didn’t speak to each other on the walk to the castle. Halfway there, Niki handed out  _ Invisibility  _ potions. Tommy wordlessly downed it. He took the lead, watching as the trail of invisible footprints in the ash followed his. The scene all around him felt dream-like. The pure destruction around him couldn’t have happened in just a few days. It didn’t make any sense. 

“How are we going to get in?” Niki asked quietly, the first words anyone had spoken in an hour. The castle’s walls loomed over them. Far off by the main gate Tommy could see a cluster of Legion troops. 

“I know a back entrance.” Tommy spoke up. “Follow my footsteps.”

\---

Wilbur had first shown him the door by the beach three years ago. The two had snuck out late at night to go ice fishing--Wilbur’s dumb idea, of course. When they had gotten back way too early in the morning, their dad had been waiting by the main gate. Wilbur took Tommy’s hand, leading him silently to the small passage in the wall. 

“Don’t let Dad know I showed you this,” his older brother had whispered with a smile. “He’ll lock it up. It can stay our secret instead.”

\---

The fishing pole Wilbur had left just inside the door was still there. Tommy took out his lantern again and relit it. His footsteps echoed as he walked up the narrow spiral staircase. He stopped before the wooden door leading to the rest of the castle. Someone invisible bumped into him, jostling the lantern. 

“Sorry.” Niki murmured. “We should keep moving, the potions are wearing off soon.” She paused. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah.” Tommy snapped back to the moment. “Everything’s fine.”

His shaky hands grasped the doorknob. The door creaked open and Tommy stepped into Wilbur’s bedroom. He held the flag that disguised the secret entrance aside for the others, surveying the room as they walked through. It was a mess. Clothes were scattered across the floor. 

“Someone’s coming.” Niki hissed. Tommy quickly extinguished the lantern as the door flung open. Wilbur stepped into the room. He was wearing a thick wool jacket and looked tired. He tossed an armful of papers onto the dresser with a heavy sigh. Without thinking, Tommy stepped forward. Wilbur yelped in surprise as an invisible presence wrapped him into a hug.

" What the f--” He began just as the  _ Invisibility  _ wore off. Wilbur paled as a large number of people in full netherite appeared in the middle of his bedroom. 

" Hey.” Tommy said, keeping his head buried in his brother’s jacket. Wilbur looked around at the group. 

" What…where did you get all that?” 

“Bastion.” Niki replied grimly. “What happened outside?”

Wilbur pushed away from Tommy. “How about I get you all downstairs? There’s some advisors that would love to talk to you.”

Tommy went to leave with the others, but Wilbur stopped him. He kept a hand on Tommy’s shoulder, holding him back. Niki cast him a glance before closing the door behind her. Tommy and Wilbur stood alone in the bedroom. Tommy was the first to speak. 

“Good to see you're not still all crazy-like.”

“Techno’s dead.” Wilbur replied bluntly. Tommy froze. Wilbur continued. “He died five days ago. Dad wants to surrender and martyr himself.” 

“I don’t even know what that means.” Tommy said without thinking. 

“It means they’re gonna kill him.” Wilbur replied. He shoved his hands into his pockets. “He’s planning on leaving me in charge.”

“Techno’s not dead.” Tommy whispered. “You’re wrong.”

“I saw the entire city go up in flames with him inside. He’s dead, and if I don’t do anything, Dad’s dead too.”

Tommy still couldn’t move. He opened his mouth but no words would come out. His brother couldn’t be dead. Something was wrong. His legs trembled beneath him and he nearly fell straight to the floor. Wilbur caught him at the last second. He led Tommy over to the bed.

“We need a plan.” Wilbur said, walking over to the dresser. “I have one day to come up with a way to stop the Legion. You know what I have so far, Tommy?”

Tommy couldn’t reply. He gripped the edges of the bedsheets.

“I have nothing.” Wilbur said with an empty laugh. “Absolutely fucking nothing. The castle has no resources I can use. We don’t even have potions anymore, for gods' sakes.”

“We do.” Tommy croaked. Wilbur paused. 

“What?”

“We do have potions.” Tommy shakily reached into the satchel at his side. He opened it, showing Wilbur the contents. The older teen’s eyes widened.

“How many do you have?” Wilbur gingerly touched the bottles.

“I dunno. At least a dozen each.” Tommy replied. Wilbur unhooked the bag from his arm and took it for himself. 

“There’s  _ Regeneration  _ in here.” Wilbur said in disbelief. He laughed, slapping a gloved hand over his mouth. “Tommy, do you have any idea what this means?” 

“What does it mean?” Tommy asked, not really listening. The conversation felt miles away from him. 

“It means Dad can heal.” Wilbur knelt down in front of Tommy. Tommy looked at him blankly. “We might have a chance now!” 

“Oh.” Tommy said. He kept staring down at the floor. “Is Techno really dead?”

Wilbur’s face was unreadable. His older brother carefully sat down on the bed next to him. He took a deep breath, then spoke. “Yeah. It doesn't feel real to me either.”

Tommy didn’t respond. Wilbur sighed and leaned his face on his hand. “Tommy, am I a good older brother?”

Tommy fidgeted with his fingers. “I dunno.” 

“Do you want me to leave?” Wilbur asked. Tommy stayed silent. Wilbur pushed himself off the bed and started towards the door.

“Please don’t.” Tommy said softly. Wilbur stopped. He wordlessly made his way back to the bed. Tommy curled his knees up to his chest. His armor dug painfully into his skin and he flinched. The netherite fell from his back as Wilbur undid the straps. The red marks remained on his arms and Tommy rubbed at them. 

“Do you still have that whale carving?” Wilbur asked gently. Tommy reached into his pocket. 

“Yeah.”

“Can you show me it?” Wilbur held out his hand. Tommy gave him the half-finished figurine. Wilbur turned it over, admiring it. “You still haven’t finished it.”

“Lost the knife.” Tommy replied, taking the statue back. Wilbur unhooked a dagger from his own belt.

“You can take mine.” 

Tommy grabbed the blade. It was lighter than his old one. He tested it on the wood. It sliced cleanly through. 

“Seems to work pretty well.” Wilbur said. Tommy nodded. He continued working on the whale. Wilbur watched him. “Think you could teach me how to do that?”

Tommy considered it for a moment. “What do you want to make?”

“You think of something. Give me an animal.”

“How about a…” Tommy’s face scrunched in thought. “...a raccoon.”

“A raccoon?” Wilbur snorted. “Sure. Where do I begin?”

Tommy grabbed a stick from the inside of his jacket. The fog in his brain finally began to slip away as he made the first carving into the wood. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> only two chapters to go aaaaaaa :D


	13. Thunder and Lightning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is probably the longest chapter in this fic ope. Hope you all enjoy and thanks again for all the support :)

It took three potions until Philza could feel his wings again. The cleric unwrapping his bandages ducked out of the way as he flexed them. They were stiff and desperately needed preening, but they still worked. 

“How’s it looking?” Wilbur asked from next to him. 

“Looking like we’re back in business.” Phil replied. Wilbur tapped the list on the table between them. 

“Good. Next up on the list is arming the remainder of our forces.” Wilbur pulled out a notebook from his jacket. “I’ve taken inventory on every piece of equipment Tommy and the other prisoners brought back. It’s not much, but the potions could potentially turn the tide.”

“We’re still going up against the full force of the piglin army, Wil. Even with a few potions it would be an absolute slaughter.” Phil said. 

“With you back to full strength, we can change that.” Wilbur replied. “You still have your trident, right?”

“Of course.” Phil frowned. “I don’t see how one trident could turn the tides.”

“I’ve been doing a little research.” Wilbur said cryptically. “Between your old journals and the archives, there’s a few things I found.”

Phil raised an eyebrow. “Well, don’t feel like you have to keep it a secret. Go ahead and explain.” 

Wilbur’s smile grew sinister. “Gladly.”

\---

Philza stood on the castle wall, letting the wind rush against his wings. The dark clouds above him blocked out the sunlight and left the area bathed in grey. A storm was blowing in. Phil could feel his feathers stand on end: a sign of approaching lightning. He stared down at the piglin troops. They seemed oblivious to the weather as they set up their tents beneath him. Phil ran through the next step of Wilbur’s plan one more time.  _ Step two: we surrender _ .

Phil waited until he saw Splitsnout appear before flying down. The Legion’s general was clothed in a ruby crown and a bright red cloak. She wore dark netherite armor under the finery and kept a golden axe strapped to her back. The piglins parted for her. She sat down at the wooden table set up outside the gate and looked up at Phil. The winged man landed in the snow next to her.

“ _ I am glad you found our conditions reasonable this time around, Your Majesty. _ ” Splitsnout said. She motioned at the chair across from her. “ _ Please, take a seat. I want to finish before the snow blows in. _ ”

Phil complied. He sat down and pulled the letter from his jacket. Splitsnout smiled at the sight of it. She handed him a pen. He took it and laid the terms of surrender onto the table. Splitsnout cocked her head. “ _ Nothing to say? _ ”

“ _ I’d prefer for my death to be dignified, and I’m afraid that if I open my mouth the words that will come out might ruin that. _ ” Phil responded. Splitsnout chuckled. 

“ _ Understandable _ .” 

Phil ignored her. He pretended to read the words on the paper. Mentally he focused on the storm. It was close now. Although the storm was still out at sea, its lightning could stretch much farther. Step three was almost in action. 

“ _ Your soldiers are gathering on the walls. _ ” Splitsnout noted with a frown. Phil didn’t bother to look up at her. 

“ _ They wanted to witness my execution. _ ” He replied. Splitsnout seemed to accept his answer. Phil knew without checking that Wilbur was up there with them. He hoped Tommy had listened to him and stayed inside. 

Eventually Phil couldn’t stall any longer. He set down the paper and lifted his pen, signing the line at the bottom. Splitsnout took the pen and did the same. She pushed back from the table with a smile. “ _ Shall we? _ ”

Phil nodded. He stood out of the way as the piglin soldiers pushed the table to the side. Splitsnout drew her axe, running her hoof over the blade. Phil took a knee. He could hear the snow crunch under Splitsnout’s boots as she approached. 

Wilbur watched from the walls as the piglin approached his father. The snow was falling heavily around him, fogging up his glasses. He looked over to the sea. The storm was close enough now. Finding the old  _ Channeling  _ book in the archives had been the first miracle. The storm rolling in just on time had been the second one.

In Wilbur’s hand, Phil’s trident hummed. Wilbur prepared to let it go. He held his breath and waited. 

\---

Splitsnout raised her axe. Far off in the distance, Phil heard thunder. He opened his hand at his side and recalled his trident. The weapon flew to him within seconds. Splitsnout brought her axe down just as Phil brought his trident up. The two weapons slammed into each other. Splitsnout’s eyes widened in surprise. She flung herself backwards as Phil raised his arms to the sky. The blaze powder coating the weapon stuck to his gloves, melting away any snow. Phil closed his eyes and silently called for lightning. 

The first strike eviscerated every creature within 30 feet of it. The blast knocked the rest in the area to the ground. As Phil lowered the trident, he noted Splitsnout was in the second group. She was singed but otherwise unharmed. He angled his trident at her just as a hoglin charged in front of him. Phil swore and spread his wings, taking to the air. A heavy gust of wind blew him up into the clouds. The storm was upon them. 

“ _ Charge the castle! _ ” Splitsnout yelled, getting to her feet far below him. She pointed at the castle. “ _ Don’t let a single soul make it out alive! _ ”

\---

"Focus fire on the brutes!" Wilbur screamed over the storm. He clutched onto the fence surrounding the wall as the wind hit him. The combination of snow and rain made it near impossible to see the battle beneath him. The archers around him seemed to have the same issue, firing blindly below them or not firing at all. A crack of lightning illuminated the scene and Wilbur caught a glimpse of his father. Philza was far above them in the center of the storm. Wilbur saw him angle his trident before he vanished back into the clouds. 

The castle wall shook and Wilbur was thrown to his knees. He scrambled to brace himself against the fence. The squeals of dozens of hoglins cut through the thunder and rain. The castle shook again.

"They're trying to breach the wall!" A soldier shouted. Wilbur gripped onto the fence posts for dear life as the walls shuttered. The stone beneath him began to crack. The snow whipped at his face as he tried to look down at the hoglins. He could barely make out the massive beast charging the wall. All around him the Empire soldiers were retreating. 

_ You doomed them.  _ The shadow’s voice was clear over the roar of the battle. Wilbur watched as black crept up his gloves.  _ There’s only one way you can save this.  _

Wilbur grit his teeth and tried to ignore it. Carefully he followed the retreat. The stone stairs were covered in ice and he nearly fell down them. An archer caught his arm. The two practically clung to each other as they walked across the frozen courtyard to the castle’s entrance. Once inside, Wilbur collapsed onto the floor. He lay there and tried to catch his breath among the other soldiers. 

A crashing sound sent him jolting upright. The noise was terrifyingly loud, shaking the entire entry hall. Wilbur gripped the carpet beneath him as the rumble faded. The outer wall had fallen. The only thing between the Empire’s citizens and the Legion now was the castle’s main door. 

“Bolt the door!” Wilbur shouted, jumping to his feet. He and a few others threw themselves at the door, sliding the massive metal lock into place. The portcullis lowered from the ceiling to add a final layer against the piglins. 

“Do you think this will hold them?” A person asked. 

“Not for long.” Wilbur replied. He stepped back and stared grimly at the door. Already he could hear the squeals. The others in the area picked up their bows, aiming at the door. Wilbur didn’t bother. He turned and walked further into the castle. Arrows wouldn’t slow the Legion down. He needed something else--and fast. 

\---

The second Philza watched the first hoglin charge through the rubble of the wall, he knew he couldn’t stop them. The other hoglins were already flooding into the courtyard. Phil swooped down over them, dodging the few arrows that were sent his way. He scanned the piglin army before his eyes settled on a glimpse of red through the storm. Splitsnout stood in the middle of the crowd shouting orders. Phil readied his trident. Splitsnout noticed him at the last minute, rolling out of the way as the trident slammed into the snow. Phil went to recall it. In a quick movement Splitsnout slammed her axe into the trident, shattering it in two. The magical glint vanished. 

“ _ Come down and face your end, Angel! _ ” The piglin leader shouted. Phil happily obliged. He dove down, driving his heels straight into Spitsnout’s chest as he landed. The two skid several feet forwards in the snow. Splitsnout grabbed Phil’s ankle and threw him off with a grunt. Both leaders circled each other, Phil drawing his sword and Splitsnout grabbing her axe. The piglins formed a wide radius around them as Splitsnout held up a hoof behind her. “ _ Don’t interfere. This is between us. _ ”

“ _ How many times do I have to kill you generals until you get the message not to fuck with me? _ ” Phil asked, baring his teeth in a grin. He snapped out his wings behind him to dwarf Splitsnout in their shadow. He noted with some satisfaction that the piglin shivered in the cold. 

“ _ My predecessor saw you as invincible. I am not under that same delusion. _ ” Splitsnout replied. Her red cloak fluttered dramatically in the harsh wind. “ _ I have seen you bleed, Angel. I know I can kill you and unlike Sharptooth, I will not hesitate to do so. _ ”

Splitsnout’s first blow nearly knocked Philza off his feet. He braced his sword against her axe, keeping the blade from cleaving into his face. His wing shot out and slammed her in the side. Splitsnout coughed and lowered her axe. She swung it at Phil’s wing. He kicked her solidly in the abdomen using the opening. Both blows connected. Phil winced. The wound stung, but it didn’t look deep.

Splitsnout stumbled backward. She caught herself and reached down to the potions at her waist. In quick succession she downed all four of them. Phil grabbed his own  _ Strength  _ potion and did the same. He made mental note of the particles rising from her skin: white for  _ Speed _ , dark pink for  _ Regeneration _ , purple for  _ Strength _ , orange for  _ Fire Resistance _ . 

Splitsnout was moving before Phil could even register it. Her axe swung at his head and he barely ducked out of the way. He countered by digging his sword into her side. She snarled and punched him straight in the face with her free hoof. The sword wound stitched itself up before Phil’s eyes. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted the axe and flung his arm up. The weapon buried itself into his forearm instead of his neck and he hissed in pain. Blood poured from his broken nose and onto his uniform. He let it fall, focusing on dodging Splitsnout’s strikes. She was moving faster than he could easily predict. Fifteen years of fighting ordinary warriors had made him rusty. Phil steadied himself, taking a deep breath. He was all that was distracting the Legion from storming the castle. This was one fight he had to win. 

\---

Wilbur tore through the stacks of books in his room. The enchantment books he had scrounged up from the library were useless.  _ Frost Walker, Soul Speed, Aqua Affinity _ \--none of them were remotely close to what he needed. He paced around the room and tried to think. 

_ We both know what we need right now is a warrior.  _

Wilbur frowned at the voice. He ignored it and stopped in front of his dresser. He leafed through the dozens of half-written papers sprawled across its surface. 

_ I could bring Techno back,  _ the shade continued. Wilbur could see it circling his neck in the mirror. It stopped on either side of his head, forming the familiar pair of horns.  _ It would be easy for him to kill those beasts.  _

“Maybe we have some potions left?” Wilbur muttered to himself. “I could get--”

_ Philza would want him back over you,  _ the shadow interrupted. Wilbur went silent. His hands shook as he looked down at the plans. Outside he could hear the hoglins slam into the castle doors. 

“Please shut up.” Wilbur whispered. The shadow laughed and constricted around his head. 

_ C’mon, it’s obvious. Don’t pretend like it’s this big revelation.  _ The castle shook as a hoglin threw itself at the gate. Wilbur fell onto the floor. Everything stuffed in his pockets spilled to the floor.  _ Time’s running out. Are we doing this or not? _

Wilbur stared down at the objects scattered across the floor. It was a complete mess. 

_ Yes or no. _

“Yes.” Wilbur answered without thinking. The shadow dripped down across his face. Looking up at the mirror, all that was visible were his eyes. 

_ Do you fully accept the pre-established terms of our agreement in exchange for the return of Technoblade? _

“I…” Every part of Wilbur’s body was obscured. He lifted his hand up. It almost resembled a hoof. He quickly slammed it back onto the floor. Something dug into his palm and he yelped. The statue of the raccoon had nearly drawn blood from how hard he accidently hit it. Its crudely carved eyes stared into his wild ones. 

_ Answer me.  _

It was such an awful little art piece now that Wilbur looked at it closely. Carving it with Tommy practically hanging off his arm certainly hadn’t done it any favors. The eyes were way too big for its body and the sharp tail was more dangerous than cute. Tommy had been too nice to tell him it looked like shit. For once, his younger brother had tried to be so polite:  _ ‘Well...I bet if I keep showing you how to do this, you’ll get way better!’ _ . Something about the memory made Wilbur chuckle. 

_ What’s so funny?  _ The shadow sounded confused which just made Wilbur laugh harder. He caught his breath. 

“I’m not making a deal with you. Fuck off.” 

_ What? _

“You heard me. Fuck off.” Wilbur stood and brushed the shadow off his arms. It dropped away onto the floor, swirling angrily. 

_ This is your last chance. Your whole family is gonna die because of-- _

“No, they won’t. I’m finding a way out of this.”

_ You said that last time. _

“And it ended up with my father still alive, so it worked.” Wilbur grabbed a blank sheet of paper off the table and began to write on it. He scribbled the steps of his plan as quickly as he could. “Besides, I have to stick around long enough to learn how to carve a half-decent raccoon.”

_ You’re not making a deal with me because you want to take up  _ **_wood carving_ ** _? _

“Something like that.” Wilbur finished his list and turned back around to face the shadow. “Listen, I’m not agreeing to anything. If you want to make a deal for someone’s soul, you should leave and find a new person because I’m sure as fuck not going to do it.” 

Wilbur got no response. He scanned the room. The shadow was already gone. Outside he could hear the deep roar of thunder. It was time to put his new plan into motion. 

\---

The hilt of Splitsnout's axe slammed into Philza's side. He grunted, bringing his sword up to counter the next attack. His shoulder ached from the effort. The previous  _ Regeneration _ potions and his natural divinity are the only thing keeping him on his feet at this point. 

" _ Slowing down already? _ " Splitsnout sneered. She dodged a blow from his wings. 

Phil grit his teeth. " _ Don't get ahead of yourself. _ "

The storm raged on around them. Phil could hear the hoglins squealing in the distance. The wind whipped at his blood-stained uniform. He tensed his wings and took to the air, flying up and slamming down into Splitsnout. His boots hit the handle of her axe as she raised it just in time. She was right. He was slowing down. 

"Fuck." Phil swore, landing a few feet away in the snow. Splitsnout didn't hesitate. She tackled him and knocked the sword out of his hands. It skid across the floor into the crowd of piglins surrounding them. Phil smashed his wings into Splitsnout and she yelped. He crawled away and got back to his feet. The realization he was completely unarmed hit him. Splitsnout noticed the horror on his face and she grinned.

" _ It seems this is the end _ \--" She began. A piglin screamed in the distance and she stopped. Her eyes widened as she looked behind Phil. " _ Oh fuck. _ "

Philza immediately took to the air. The piglins were slow to react. Their arrows whizzed past his head but none managed to hit. He hovered in the air far above the army and squinted. Something large was approaching from the ruins of the city. It was easily twice the size of a hoglin, but unlike the Nether beasts this creature had a rider. Phil laughed in disbelief as he recognized it: a ravager had somehow stormed the battlefield. 

\---

"Make sure all civilians are evacuated from the lower levels." Wilbur instructed, striding through the castle halls. The soldiers at his side nodded, breaking off and shouting orders behind him. Wilbur readjusted his netherite armor. It fit him poorly, but it was better than nothing. His father's guards followed closely by his side. 

"While the bastion might have equipment, it's still a risky gamble." One of them said. "One of their fortresses already was robbed by your brother, they may have increased security in response."

"Tommy left the bastion earlier this morning. Between mobilizing the army and the lack of time, I'm willing to bet we still have a chance." Wilbur said. He pushed open the doors to the archive. "Besides, it's the best shot we have right now."

The nether portal was just as Wilbur had left it. The empty obsidian frame was cold to the touch. Wilbur kneeled down and pulled out his flint and steel. The second the sparks hit the rock, purple flooded his vision. He was knocked back as the portal reactivated. 

"Ready for the second trip in?" Wilbur asked. The group he had assembled from the previous journey into the Nether nodded. Wilbur equipped his shield and stepped through. 

When the static cleared from his vision, Wilbur was left standing in the middle of a blackstone room. The heat hit him hard and he hissed. A guard pushed past him and opened the door to the rest of the Nether. Wilbur's jaw dropped open. The sheer size of the caverns sprawled out before him was impossible to take in. Someone grabbed his shoulder. "Your majesty, we should get moving."

"O-Of course." Wilbur replied. He stepped out onto the bridge. Surprisingly, no piglins came to stop them. He scanned the bastion wall. No archers appeared in the windows. Inside the bastion was just as empty. The army had all left to witness the execution of Wilbur’s father, it seemed. A few younger piglin milled around the area cleaning the blackstone and moving equipment. They were easily rounded up by the guards at Wilbur’s side. He helped lock them into a side room far out of the way. The less chance of interference, the better. 

\---

Back in his heyday, Phil had once gone toe to toe against a pillager raid. Some pillager commander had gotten it in his mind that he was going to take the Empire, one thing had led to another, and Phil had ended up at the border of his nation staring down a whole squadron of the invaders. Later when people heard about the battle, they always asked about the dark magic of the evokers or axe-wielding vindicators. Phil for his part barely remembered the grey-skinned humanoids. No, the creature he found his mind coming back to was the ravager: a beast easily the size of a small house armed with dozens of teeth, two deadly horns, and an awful temper to match. 

That very same creature was standing before him now, but this time Phil didn’t feel afraid. Any fear he could have had was nothing in comparison to the absolute relief and joy he felt looking at the rider on its back. Technoblade, still clad in his blue diamond armor and covered in an impenetrable layer of grime, was leading the beast straight into the piglin masses. The crossbows and swords did next to nothing against the ravager. It tore a wake through them, moving straight to Phil. Phil swooped down, flying next to Techno.

“You’re alive.” Techno said. His monotone voice was unreadable, but Phil recognized the emotion on his face. “I thought the fire had….”

“Same here for you.” Phil replied, fighting to keep the emotion out of his voice. There would be time for that later. Now he had to focus on staying alive. Right on cue, he dodged a stray arrow. Techno whipped around and shot the attacker dead-on with his bow. He grabbed the ravager’s reins and turned its head to the left, absolutely demolishing a hoglin with its horns in the process. Phil raised an eyebrow. “So how did you manage to get one of those?”

“This?” Techno patted the hide of the ravager. “Went down south, found an outpost, and just asked nicely to borrow it.”

"And they gave it to you?"

Techno shifted in his seat, letting Phil catch a glimpse of the bloodied pillager uniforms padding the saddle. "They did after I asked not so nicely."

Phil snorted. He opened his mouth to reply before spotting a glimpse of red fabric in the crowd. “There! The one in the red cloak, that’s the leader.”

Techno gave chase. The two sped after Splitsnout as she pushed through the crowd. She managed to dodge out of the way of the ravager and Techno growled in frustration. “That’s it. I’m hunting her down myself.”

Techno leaped off the ravager and into the snow, rolling on impact. The ravager continued its rampage, seemingly oblivious. Phil flew after Techno, catching up and running alongside him in the snow. The two tore through the piglins in their way, Phil with his trident and Techno with his sword. 

“Gotcha.” Phil muttered as the crowd parted just enough before him to see Splitsnout. He tossed his trident straight at her back and she ducked just in time to avoid it. The recall however got her. The trident hilt slammed into her chest and she was thrown to the ground. Phil caught the trident in his hand, sprinting over to her. Techno beat him there. He was driving a sword into her face before Phil could even react. 

“ _ Traitor _ .” Splitsnout spit as she threw up her arm to block the blade. The sword sank into her arm, stopping inches from her face. She kicked to the side and stood, pulling the blade out and wielding it herself. 

“Phil, tell her to go screw herself.” Techno snarled and grabbed his axe from his back. Phil stalked around to the other side of Splitsnout. She eyed the two warily, shifting her stance back and forth. 

“ _ My son says to go fuck yourself. _ ” Phil said. Splitsnout spit on the snow. 

" _ The fact you can call something like that your ‘son’ disgusts me. _ ”

“ _ I really don’t give a shit about how you feel. _ ” Phil replied, darting forwards. Splitsnout blocked his trident just in time for Techno to raise his axe. The weapon sank into Splitsnout’s armor and she leaped to the side. She glanced at the two of them, seemed to weigh her options, then turned and ran. Techno moved to stop her, grabbing her red cloak and tearing it from her back. She managed to slip away into the crowd. Phil grimaced. She would make it to the portal, but the castle was a bigger concern. 

"Don't bother chasing her, we've got other problems here!" Phil yelled to him. Techno frowned, slinging the cloak over his shoulders in place of his blue one. He whistled, calling the ravager back over to him. The creature charged through the piglin lines as if they weren't even there to begin with. Phil waited until Techno was on its back then took to the air. The two of them rushed towards the castle. The piglin forces were in retreat, but if even one hoglin got inside the castle it could still be a massacre. 

\---

Splitsnout stumbled through the portal. She kept her arm pressed against her side, trying to stop the blood from pouring onto the blackstone beneath her. The gate leading into the bastion was left open. She thanked whatever gods were watching over her for the convenience. 

" _ I need a medic! _ " Splitsnout yelled into the bastion. No one answered. She frowned. The bastion hadn't been left completely abandoned, she knew that for certain. She limped through the empty halls. " _ Can anyone hear me? _ "

A figure stepped out into the hall in front of her. He was human, dressed in the royal blue uniform of the Empire. He studied her coldly behind his glasses. Splitsnout stopped in her tracks. All at once, she became keenly aware of how the axe blow had broken her helmet clean off. The young man raised the crossbow in his hands, leveling it at her eyes. 

When Wilbur stepped back through the portal, it felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

"We were about to go back through the portal to go find you. The rest of the supplies are already handed out." A guard commented. Wilbur adjusted the bag hanging off his back. 

"I noticed a piglin brute left in the halls of the bastion. Wanted to make sure it didn't have the chance to raise any alarms." Wilbur replied. He lifted up his bag of stolen supplies. "Ready to get the last of this out to the people?"

\---

The cold terror Phil felt looking at the crumbled castle wall only got worse at the sight of the door. The giant gate that protected the castle had been reduced to splinters. Inside the castle he could hear hoglin bellows. He landed outside the ruined doors next to Techno.

"They got in." Phil said quietly. Techno didn't reply. His ravager lurched forwards, charging into the exposed entry hall. Phil followed closely behind. He mentally prepared himself for the worst.

The first body Phil found was a hoglin's. The next was the same. The further he got into the castle, the realization dawned on him: there were no human corpses on the ground, only those from Legion invaders. Techno seemed to realize the same. 

"How did they kill this many hoglins?" The piglin muttered. Nearby came the sound of a hoglin squeal, then a crowd cheering. Phil and Techno rounded the corner and came face to face with the answer to Techno's question.

The remainder of the Empire's army formed a line across the hallway, blocking any potential intruders. Every soldier Phil could see was armed to the teeth. Not only were they somehow in full netherite with a variety of enchanted weapons, the men were somehow in good spirits. Phil couldn't guess how given the situation. 

"Techno!" Wilbur pushed through the crowd to the front lines. He was wearing no armor besides a pair of netherite gauntlets. He stopped in front of the ravager, giving Phil a big hug. "I thought you two were dead, holy shit." 

"So did I for a moment there." Phil said. His face darkened and he lowered his voice to a whisper. "This wasn't part of some deal, right?"

"Nah. Everything you see here is just my brilliant leadership paying off." Wilbur replied. He turned to look at Techno. "Techno, how the fuck are you alive? Get down from there so I can hug you."

Techno immediately steered his ravager to face towards the broken door. "Phil, we should clean up the rest of the Legion while they're still unorganized. It might be our only opportunity."

Phil bit back a laugh at the scowl on Wilbur's face. "Sounds like a plan. Keep guarding the area, Wil. We'll come alert you guys when we're done."

"Are you really choosing to risk your life on the battlefield over showing some brotherly affection?" Wilbur asked, crossing his arms. 

"Yep." Techno replied, already halfway down the hall. Wilbur huffed.

"Hey asshole!" The brunette called after them. Techno turned around from where he was sitting. 

"What?"

"Seriously, it's good to see you."

Techno paused. He smiled slightly. "It's good to see you too."

Phil kept pace with the pillager beast as they stepped out into the snow. He practically had to jog to keep up with it. "The majority of the hoglins seem to be dead, so the biggest threat is taken care of already. We need to target anyone still giving commands and--"

"Hey Phil?" Techno interrupted.

"Yeah, mate?"

"Do you want to ride on the ravager?"

Phil's face split into a wide grin. "Oh hell yes."


End file.
